A Bristol fish and chip restaurant named the third best in the country is now in the running for yet more coveted titles, as it has been named a finalist in two categories at this year’s South West Tourism Awards. Taking to social media on Monday, October 21, Noah’s confirmed that it was up for the titles of Casual Dining and New Tourism Business of the Year.
The awards ceremony is set to take place on Thursday, December 5. Noah’s post said: “Delighted to be a finalist in two categories at this year’s SW Tourism Awards! All will be revealed on Thursday, December 5, when we find out we’ve bagged Gold, Silver or Bronze on the night.”
Split into regions, the finalists for the 2024 Bristol, Bath, and Somerset Tourism Awards – which include entries from Wiltshire and Gloucestershire – have now been revealed. The awards are described as celebrating “excellence within the tourism sector”, and this year sees a total of 65 finalists.
However, in some categories, these will remain a surprise until the big night. Two special awards will also be unveiled at the ceremony. Each finalist has undergone a thorough evaluation that included an in-depth review of entry forms, online presence, and, in most cases, an on-site visit. All participants, whether winners or not, receive detailed feedback on their entries early next year.
Noah’s, which came third in The National Fish & Chip Awards 2024 Fish and Chip Restaurant of the Year category, is a family-run restaurant and seafood kitchen “tucked under the flyover overlooking the Cumberland Basin”. It’s described as a “relaxed riverside restaurant that’s passionate about showcasing the best of British seafood”.
The menu at Noah’s changes daily and seasonally, serving up classic fish and chips, as well as the likes of grilled fish, dressings, hand-dived Orkney scallops, and shellfish. Chef Dan Rosser and his wife Joie opened the restaurant on Brunel Lock Road near the Cumberland Basin in 2023 and the couple have had an incredible first year.
Dan and Joie wanted to ‘focus on simple, fresh fish cookery and premium fish and chips’. They took over the venue after years of dreaming of opening a fish restaurant. Dan’s family first opened a fishmonger in Frome when he was just 15 years old, and the family also run the highly acclaimed Scallop Shell restaurant in Bath.
From the age of 21, Dan honed his culinary skills with some of the most respected chefs in the UK, including Mitch Tonks at the Seahorse in Dartmouth, Nieves Barragán Mohacho at London’s Sabor and Marco Pierre White. Joie fell in love with the hospitality industry while working at The Ritz in Singapore.