A FISH and chip shop in Worcester is contending to be crowned the best chippie in the country.

The Rose Avenue Fish Shop, Tolladine, will go head-to-head with nine other regional winners in a two-day battle to find the nation's finest fish fryer.

Tomorrow shop owner Lucas Gabriel will undergo a nerve-wracking final day's judging, aiming to convince a 14-strong panel of industry experts why his shop should be crowned Fish & Chip Shop of the Year.

Mr Gabriel will then have to wait a nail-biting 24 hours to find out if he has scooped the coveted title, which will be presented by flamboyant TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson at an awards ceremony at the Tower Thistle hotel in London.

This year's panel will feature celebrity fish and chip fans including BBC Radio 2 presenter Sarah Kennedy and Austin Mitchell, MP for Grimsby.

"I have been getting my speech ready," said Mr Gabriel.

"We have to do a presentation tomorrow to the whole of the panel telling them why we are better than the other finalists. We're feeling quite confident."

The search for the country's best chippie began last summer with more than 8,000 fish and chip shops throughout the UK invited to enter the competition, organised by the Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish).

The rigorous selection process involved customer feedback, mystery shopping and taste tests by Seafish inspectors, the nation's top ten fryers will battle it out for the coveted title.