Hooked on Middleton Beach voted best takeaway fish and chips in Australia

A humble family-run shop in Middleton Beach can now boast the title of best fish and chips in the country, winning the title at the national awards ceremony on Thursday. Hooked on Middleton Beach won the best takeaway fish and chips award at the 2024 National Seafood Industry Awards held in Tasmania on September 12. Running the store with her parents Shane and Janine Vale and her husband Jeremy Lutley, owner Hayley Lutley said they were “very proud”. “We came over here unsure if we’d win, so we were very surprised and very honoured to stand up in front of 500-odd people to accept the award,” she said. Hosted by Seafood Industry Australia, the awards’ 13 categories recognise positive contributions towards maintaining a sustainable and profitable Australian seafood industry. The Lutley-Vale family were up against Stanley Seafoods (Tasmania) and Fisheries on the Spit (Queensland) for the top chippie gong. Judges take a secret-shopper-style approach to their assignment, discreetly sampling the fare of fish and chip shops across the country. Ms Lutley attributes their win to championing local products and businesses. “It’s all down to the fresh local fish that we use,” she said. “We have a great relationship with the local fisherman, who bring us their catches from Denmark, Albany, Bremer Bay. “We use all high-quality local products from WA, so we feel this award represents them all a bit too.” This is the second time the Albany fish and chip shop has won the title with the first in 2018. Hooked qualified for the national award in May, when they took out the best takeaway fish and chips title at the 2024 WA Seafood Industry Awards. Ms Lutley said her family were looking forward to getting back to Albany and would host a celebration with the community in a few weeks. “A huge thankyou to all of our loyal customers, our 23 loyal staff and the entire Albany community,” she said. “We’ve been open for over eight years now and without our dedicated staff and local fishermen, we wouldn’t have the business we have.” Fisheries Minister Don Punch said it was “fantastic” to see WA well-represented at the awards. “WA is a world leader in sustainable fisheries management and being recognised on a national level for excellence, sustainability and innovation is a fantastic acknowledgement for our seafood businesses, commercial fishers and industry leaders,” he said.