THE Sauchie Bridge Cafe is hoping to defend its crown at this year’s Scottish Italian Awards following another nomination for best fish and chips.

Having taken home the prize last year, the chippy is hoping to do one better by retaining the coveted plaque on Sunday (8 November).

The Bridge, which has been in Main Street for 17 years, is run by Alberto Jaconelli and his wife Domenica, who say their success is all down to providing quality.

Alberto told the Advertiser: “First of all, we would just like to say a big thank you to all our customers who voted for this nomination.

“Without them, we wouldn’t be here at all and we’re hopeful of retaining the award for the community this year.”

Following the public nominations, judges make a mystery visit to the shop in order to sample the food and atmosphere for themselves.

And though the process is incredibly tight, Alberto is confident the sheer quality of the product will sway the panel.

He said: “There’s a lot that goes into these awards; they look at the quality of the food and presentation, but also the customer service and the look of the shop itself.

“This year they are also looking at how we get our fish – which is something we are especially proud of.

“All our fish are landed in Peterhead, all hand-filleted, all with Scottish suppliers. There is no frozen imported stuff used here.

“It’s important for us to support the Scottish fish industry, not least because, as anyone in the trade will tell you, Scottish fish is the best there is. It might not be the cheapest; but here it’s all about quality.

“We are communicating this to our customers – we can tell where the fish was caught, when it was caught and who caught it.

The Bridge was opened in 1998 by Alberto’s dad Luigi, who, much to the delight of many customers, still lends a hand.

“My dad is in with the fixtures,” Alberto said. “He’s been in the trade for 40 years and is still active in the shop – not because he has to, but because he loves it.

“Customers still want to see the old hand at work. Like the shop itself, he’s part of the community.”

The awards take place in the Grand Ballroom of the Glasgow City Hotel on Sunday at 6pm.

Warren Paul, CEO and awards founder, said: “This year we’ve welcomed more new venues and businesses than ever, and I’m delighted that the wider Scottish Italian community has a chance to be represented and potentially become award winning.”