A CWMBRAN chippy is in the race to become the Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year.

Page’s Fish and Chips is among six shops to have been shortlisted for the "region" of Wales in the 2014 National Fish and Chip Awards, organised by Seafish.

The overall winner will be announced at an awards ceremony at The Lancaster London hotel on January 22, 2014, to be hosted by Michelin-starred chef and TV personality Jean Christophe Novelli.

The fish and chip shops have now been judged on their initial entries by industry experts and subjected to mystery shop visits to secretly rate their businesses on a number of criteria, including food quality and customer service. These shops will now be further appraised in order to establish a UK top 20 that will compete for prestigious regional titles.

The annual National Fish and Chip Awards recognise the quality and choice offered by fish and chip shops across the UK.

Paul Williams, CEO of Seafish, said: “Every year we see the standard of shops getting higher and higher and this year will be no exception. Seafish has been running the awards for 26 years and the calibre of entries demonstrates the battle for the national title will be as fierce as ever.”

In October, Seafish will announce the top shop in each of the 10 UK regions for the flagship award. Thereafter, those regional winning shops will be invited on a study trip to Ålesund, Norway, organised by award sponsor the Norwegian Seafood Council to see first-hand why Norway is regarded as one of the world’s most sustainable fishing nations.

The shortlisted shops in Wales are: Fish Tram Chips, Llandudno, Conwy; Hennighan's Top Shop, Machynlleth, Powys; Simply Fish and Chips, Denbigh, Denbighshire; Hikary’s Fish Bar, Melin, Neath; Page’s Fish and Chips, Cwmbran; The Chippy, Hirwaun, Mid Glamorgan.