Shop scoops award for best chips in Auckland

If you’re looking for the best chips in Auckland, you’ll find them in Royal Oak.

The Chip Shop, run by Tina Nair and Trevor Norling, was the Auckland regional winner of the That’s Life! Best Chip Shop Competition 2009.

The walls of the small shop are lined with feedback from happy customers and on a busy night, dedicated fish and chip connoisseurs will wait nearly an hour for their food.

The pair make the chips from scratch using agria potatoes and crumb the fish as it’s ordered.

"It’s a bit of a surprise – it’s come out of the blue," Mr Norling says of the win.

The shop has been extremely busy and recently used 650kg of potatoes in one weekend, which has meant a few early mornings, he says.

"But the people definitely appreciate it."

The store also provides gluten-free and wheat-free options which attract customers from all over Auckland.

Mr Norling says it’s amusing to see a customer jump around in excitement because they can finally eat fish and chips which have been prepared in a healthier way.

The business has been a labour of love for the couple, who have been operating it for five years.

Previously a food importer and a butcher, Mr Norling saw an ad in a newspaper: "I had a laugh and said to Tina, ‘look there’s a fish and chip shop for sale’. She said ‘ring them’."

Mrs Nair was previously teaching English and says she enjoys the community spirit of running a takeaway shop.

"It’s a very sociable kind of business. People are surprised we remember their name.

"It’s not just cooking them chips, we go beyond that."

When the store is busy, Mrs Nair says customers watch their every move and it’s hard not to rush the cooking process.

"Every time you look up there is the same pair of eyes staring at you," laughs Mr Norling.

They serve about 120 customers each Friday night and emphasise the importance of draining the chips thoroughly.

The annual best chip competition sees the country divided into six regions, with 20 finalists from each one.

Heart Foundation nutritionist Judith Morley-John says mystery judges look for evidence the staff are trained, critique the taste of the chip, the use of frying techniques and cleanliness.

She describes the perfect chip as lightly cooked with a nice clean taste and not too greasy.

"New Zealanders eat seven million serves of chips a week and through this competition we can improve the quality and the nutrient profile by choosing shops that have lower fat," Ms Morley-John says.

- © Fairfax NZ News