WE'RE highlighting the shortlisted chippies in our competition in the News & Star. Each of the establishments will be featured over the following issues.

Fontana's Fish and Chips has been nominated by News & Star readers as one of the ten finalists in its 'Best Chippy 2024' award.

The chippy, which is located on Carlisle's London Road, has been a local fish and chips staple for almost 40 years, being opened by David and Carol Foster in 1984, however, Fontana's can also trace its history back to the 1950s. 

The chippy is now run by Carol's daughter Samantha Dixon who is upholding her family's rich chippy traditions. 

After being informed that Fontana's has been nominated as a finalist in the News & Star's 'Best Chippy 2024' award, Samantha was on hand to express his delight. 

She said: "It is absolutely brilliant that we have been nominated.

"It is hard work but it is very rewarding work.

"All the customers that come in are regulars. We have our regulars that come in every single day or twice a week and even if we close they still come back and it is brilliant and we don't take that support for granted at all."

Samantha also discussed the 'tight-knit' community which has been created around Fontana's and how this community stretches out from within the walls of the popular Carlisle chippy.

"I enjoy it and the staff so as well, there is a lot of really good banter between the staff and the customers.

"If one of us is off they will even ask where we are and we have such a tight-knit staff stream that everyone knows us and even when we go into town we often get people recognising us so it is nice. 

"We are a family business and I know we have been established for nearly 40 years but it is so nice to be recognised and it is so nice to be put up for this award."