A PONTYPOOL chippy has been named among the top 50 takeaway fish and chip shops in the UK

The Horseshoe Fish Bar in Pontnewynydd has been named as one of the Fry Magazine's 50 Best Fish & Chip Takeaways in the UK in 2021.

It is the only Gwent chippy to make the list, and one of just nine Welsh entries.

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To make the list, The Horseshoe Fish Bar had to impress a mystery diner who visited unannounced and marked the chippy on more than 40 aspects of their business - from the quality of the food and customer service to their social media presence and their Covid safe practices.

The food remained the main focus of the marking, with all outlets assessed on the flakiness of the fish, the crispness of the chips and the crunch of the batter, alongside value for money.

The benchmark score to make the list was set at 97 per cent for takeaways - the highest in the competition's nine-year history - which The Horseshoe Fish Bar passed with flying colours, scoring 99 per cent.

The Horseshoe Fish Bar in Pontnewnynedd. Picture: Gareth Hoskins.

The Horseshoe Fish Bar in Pontnewnynedd. Picture: Gareth Hoskins.

The mystery diner particularly noted getting a great first impression of the chip shop, and the "extremely friendly" staff.

"Staff were very nice and the food was good quality, it ticks all the boxes," they reported.

“It makes me feel really proud,” said Gareth Hoskins, owner of The Horseshoe Fish Bar, when asked about those comments. “To get the score that we got, it was amazing.

“It just shows the hard work the staff have put in.

The Horseshoe Fish Bar owner Gareth Hoskins and his partner Sam Davies. Picture: Gareth Hoskins

The Horseshoe Fish Bar owner Gareth Hoskins and his partner Sam Davies. Picture: Gareth Hoskins

“This is the first time we have entered a competition. Fry Magazine is well-known in our industry so to make the top 50 is an achievement for myself and my staff.

“It just shows how far we have come in the last five years, from turning The Horseshoe from an old pub into one of the UK's top 50 chip shops.

“The success behind The Horseshoe is down to hard work, great staff and the loyal customers who come back to us week after week.

“It’s nice now to be able to call The Horseshoe an award-winning chip shop.”