THE owners of a popular fish and chip shop are celebrating after it was named as one of the best by Tripadvisor.

M&A Fish Bar, in Rosemary Road, Clacton, has been handed TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice award.

The award recognises those that earn consistently great user reviews from travellers.

It means the shop is ranked in the top ten per cent of all eateries listed on the platform.

Michael and Athena Antoniou had hung up their friers in 2004 when they left Clacton to retire to sunny Cyprus.

It had a string of owners in subsequent years, but Michael and Athy’s initials always remained above the door.

Then, two years ago, the couple decided to return to the shop they first opened more than 30 years ago, along with son Vassos and daughters Flora and Xenia, who set up and looked after the online presence of the business.

Michael said: “It’s a massive achievement that we never expected, but in all honesty it’s a morale reward for all our hard work over the years.

“We’ve put our heart into this business and now this news comes as a huge reward. We’re delighted.

"Our sincere thanks to all our customers who positively reviewed us on TripAdvisor.”

The family-run restaurant has been selling fresh fish in Clacton since 1979.

The owners attribute their success to quality food, a clean business environment and top-notch customer service.

“We want our customers to taste the best from us, that’s why we’ve invested whole-heartedly in the business,” added Michael.

The shop recently also launched its own delivery service, brining hot cod and chips to people’s doorsteps.

The popular family often host charity events and have raised money for Shorefields School.

Tripadvisor uses a proprietary algorithm to determine the Travellers’ Choice “honourees”.

It takes into account the quality, quantity and recency of reviews and opinions submitted by travellers on Tripadvisor over a 12-month period.

M&A Fish Bar is open daily from 11am to 8pm.