AN AMMAN Valley chippy has been named as the best in Carmarthenshire and one of the top 50 in the UK.

Castiglio's, in Gwaun cae Gurwen, features in Fry Magazine’s top 50 Best Fish & Chip Takeaways awards 2021.

An unannounced dining visit from a mystery industry expert marked the firm on over 40 different aspects of its business, ranging from the quality of its food and customer service to their social media presence and their Covid safe practices.

With the pass mark set high at 97 per cent, Castiglio’s scored an impressive 97 per cent with the mystery diner particularly praising the excellent customer service, freshly cooked to order and covid safe measures.

Commenting on their dining experience they said: “The chips were crispy and golden and the fish was cooked perfectly. The staff were friendly and efficient in their service.”

Castiglio's, on Graig Road, is the only Carmarthenshire fish and chip shop to make the top 50 list.

Ellis Castiglio who owns the family-run business alongside Paula Castiglio said the award was "a huge honour".

Adding: "There are over 13,000 fish and chip shops in Britain, so to make the top 50 is quite the achievement for us.

"We were independently audited by a mystery shopper who judged us on all aspects of the business – the service, the quality of the fish and chips and a whole range of other stuff.

"We are thrilled to have made the top 50 best takeaways in Britain.”

Commenting on this year’s awards, Reece Head, competition organiser, said: “Without doubt, the last 12 months have been tough for fish and chip operators and many will not have dealt with this level of crisis management before.

“Allowed to operate during the pandemic, there was a lot they had to implement in a very short space of time to operate in a Covid safe manner. Many takeaways had to flip their businesses to click and collect and delivery, serve at the door, introduce card payments and work in much smaller teams. Likewise, mobile units introduced pre-orders and added new routes and additional vans to keep the nation fed.

"During a time of uncertainty, these operators have helped maintain a sense of normality. They’ve been at the heart of their communities, with a smile on their faces and hot food in their hands. And the fact that we’ve had our highest pass mark ever is testament to their hard work and dedication, and we would like to congratulate each and every one.”