NONE batter, that's Neil Swales. The Stamford Bridge chippie has won a leading quality award for the food he prepares.

Thompson's Traditional Fish & Chips has been selected by the Seafish Friers Industry Authority as an example of a well run fish and chip shop. This might not be news to the locals, or to day-trippers who stop off in the village for a meal on their way back from the East Coast, but it is a welcome acknowledgement of a job well done.

As this traditional English meal fights against our changing tastes, it is good to know that fish and chip shops are keeping up the standards. Don't fry this at home - try Neil's chips instead.

Updated: 10:40 Wednesday, July 25, 2001