A Penrith chippie worker has been named among the best in the UK.
Lewis Newton, who works at Sandgate Chippie, has been shortlisted for the Drywhite Young Fish Frier of the Year category in the National Fish and Chip Awards 2024.
There are 10 young friers nominated – all aged under 25 and have a minimum of six months’ unsupervised frying experience.
Lewis has made it through the first round of the judging process and the second round will be a virtual interview where each candidate will fry fish and chips live in front of the panel and while the cooked product and their knowledge is assessed, they will also be asked set, skills-based questions.
The best six will progress to the next stage, which will be a visit to their respective chip shops for further examination of all aspects of their role, to determine who the final three will be.
The reintroduction of the award comes after the pandemic put a halt to the in-person proceedings of the judging process.
Lewis said: “I’m so exited to have reached the top 10 and can’t wait for the next challenge.”
Sandgate Chippie owner Dan Harding added: “We are very proud of Lewis. He has worked his way up from a counter server to frier in the last two years. He’s an asset to our team and we wish him the best of luck in the next round.”
