By Gemma Carroll, Communications & Engagement PNZ
Thursday 20th September saw the culmination of 6 weeks of voting and over 3000 votes cast, by chip-lovers across the nation.
Last year’s champions, Steve & Monica Fair, cooked for the Chip Fest event and showcased their continued skill at producing a golden chip, crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside.
As TV1’s Emily van Velthooven said with delight the next day, when she filmed her own private chip frying segment with Steve, “It tastes just like potato!”
Clarification for anyone worried/concerned by these moves on @Breakfaston1 this morning – they are vital for making hot chups @jordyn_rudd @wilsonlonghurst @onewilliamsj pic.twitter.com/CtusjCIt2T
— Emily van Velthooven (@emvanvelthooven) September 20, 2018
Not a single, greasy fat floppy chip, to be seen at our festival.
The hub of growers, processors, chippies, media and invited families with kids in tow, grew more excited as the time for the 2018 winner approached. Halfway through the evening, Bidfood’s Jaqueline Jones, presented the framed certificate and array of prizes, to the unsuspecting Steve & Monica Fair.
Yes, last year’s winner, did it again. Reigning champion in the eyes of their customers, Steve & Monica Fair took out the competition, with the highest number of votes from the people of Masterton, for their fare to be found at Mr Chips, Masterton.
- Over 500 stores were nominated and the top 15, in no particular order were:
- Mr Chips, 22 Chapel St – Masterton
- Pirimai Chippy, 15 Allen Berry Ave, Pirimai, Napier – Hawkes Bay
- Oceanz Seafood Silverdale, 17 Hibiscus Coast Highway, Silverdale – Auckland
- Tommy Haddock’s, 16 Bledisloe Rd, Maraenui, Napier – Hawkes Bay
- Victory Square Fish & Chips, 176 St Vincent St, Toi Toi – Nelson
- Chip n Dayals Fish and Chips, 71 Marua Road, Ellerslie – Auckland
- Oceanz Seafood Botany, 451 Ti Rakau Dr, Huntington Park – Auckland
- Okato Fish and Chips, 63 Carthew St, Okato – Taranaki
- Ruby Bay Kitchen, 172 Stafford Drive, Ruby Bay, Mapua – Nelson
- Fish Stop, 4 Glendale Rd, Glen Eden – Auckland
- Spudz Fish and Chip House, Unit 4/1 Caslani Lane, Tauriko – Tauranga
- Sheff’s Takeaways, 714 Grey St, Hamilton East – Hamilton
- Master Fish ‘n’ Chicken, 24 Bureta Rd, Bureta – Tauranga
- Ric’s Galley Takeaways, 1 Harington Point Rd, Portobello – Dunedin
- Northcross Takeaways, 178 Carlisle Rd, Northcross – Auckland
- With reigning champion:
Mr Chips Masterton
The Chip group appreciate all the support from across the nation, from our growers, our processors and suppliers on the night; Bidfood, McCain, Balle Brothers/Mr Chips and Talleys.
Guests enjoyed fried chips of course, alongside an array of other goodies, supplied by Talleys, Mr Chips, McCains & Bidfood, much of which was cooked by the unsuspecting winner.
It was clear from the happy faces of munching and chatting chip-fans, that the potato, in it’s globally-known form of the chip, is right at home here in New Zealand.
Potato NZ’s Chip Group alongside the Ministry of Health, promote healthier chips, using a simple and free online or face-to-face course, which provides methods to reduce the fat content, salt content and serving size of our chips, for the betterment of kiwi health and to reduce costs for business. Our method aims to drop the oftentimes 22% fat content, down to 9%, with simple frying techniques. The course sees at least 240 participants each year and can be easily accessed via our website www.chipgroup.co.nz
Every second year, Chip Group holds the Best Chip Shop competition which involves more rigorous testing of chips and secret judging. For now though, the chip fans have had their say and the Fair family will be heading home to further serve happy customers, what is in popular opinion, the best chips in NZ.
Congratulations Mr Chips Masterton!