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Trethomas chippy Ship Deck has guaranteed yet another top ten finish at this year’s Fish and Chip awards, this time in recognition of its top quality potatoes.

The shop, on Newport Road, has already made the top 40 in the Fish and Chip Takeaway category, where it hopes to go a step further than last year having finished inside the top ten.

For the first time since partners Ryan and Kimberly Hughes opened Ship Deck four years ago, the pair entered the “prestigious” Field to Frier category, which considers everything potato – including; where they’ve come from, how they fry, and most importantly, how they taste.

Ryan, who is more involved in the food part of the shop having won Young Fish Frier of the year in 2019, told Caerphilly Observer: “This is still a very prestigious category, with chips obviously being a huge part of why we’re successful.

“A lot goes into making the perfect chip. We use different potatoes during different times of the year to ensure the variety is in season. Mitchell Potatoes have generations worth of experience and help us source the best quality stuff.”

There are more technical aspects to creating the perfect chip, explained Ryan. He has to consider where and how the potatoes are stored as well as the sugar content of each batch, before the all-important taste test.

“It’s great for the area and Wales as a whole to see success like this. People typically consider the best fish and chips to come from the coast but we’re doing our bit to put Wales on the map”, Ryan added.

While Ship Deck are still uncertain when they’ll receive an update on their position in the Takeaway category, Ryan was told to he should find out if they’ve made it to the next stage of the Field to Frier category by December.

The Fish and Chip Awards will be held in London in February 2024. Ryan added that regardless of whether or not Ship Deck is invited to the awards, he’ll be attending in support of the industry.