FISH and chips have been at the heart of the Miller family, and their expertise have already proved an asset to the venture with a host of award wins already in 2018.

Millers Fish and Chips in Haxby is now hoping to win the Family Business of the Year title at The Press Business Awards, and also the Small Business of the Year category.

Co-owner Nick Miller explained: “My dad, David, has worked as a chef on the luxury QE2 cruise liner and some of the best hotels and restaurants in the world.

“Leading the kitchen, he has vigorous procedures in place to ensure that everything we serve to customers is of the highest quality.

“He also visits fish and chip shops across the UK helping other fish and chip shop owners and works with the National Federation of Fish Friers to train the next generation of fish fryers and shop managers. His commitment to excellence and helping other workers in the industry develop their skills recently led to David taking a position on the board of directors.

“My mum, Lesley, leads on front of house service and ensures that all of our customers are receiving the best levels of customer service. As the main point of contact for many of our customer’s enquiries and questions, mum plays an important role in helping to communicate across the business how customers are finding their experience and what we might be able to do in areas we need to improve if necessary.

“After setting up the social media channels for the business when I first joined it three years ago, I’ve worked with my family and team to build our presence on online platforms and share relevant news with our customers, industry partners and suppliers online on our website.

“Looking after the marketing and social media platforms we used has allowed the business to move forward by placing us a leading voice in the fish and chip industry, supporting members of the community by sharing important local news when needed and also helping to communicate the importance of sustainable practices.”

In the last 12 months, the business has won a number of accolades and awards. In January, it was named the UK’s best fish and chip shop; in June it was named ‘Small Family Business of the Year’ at the Family Business United Awards and in April it achieved a silver medal in the Taste of England category in the Visit England Awards, the UK’s most prestigious tourism awards.

Mr Miller said: “None of this would have been possible without the hard work of our family and our staff. These awards and recognition for our work as brought the family even closer together and demonstrated the importance of the work we’re doing both as individuals and collectively.”