Friday 6 June 2025 marks National Fish & Chip Day – and what better way to celebrate than by tucking into some fresh fish and chips while giving back to a great cause?
Hosted by local seafood supplier Smales Fish Merchants, the event will take place between 11.30 am and 1.30 pm near the Cenotaph in Hull city centre, where the public can enjoy freshly cooked fish and chips on a “pay what you can afford” basis. All proceeds will go directly to Sailors’ Children’s Society, a national Hull-based charity supporting families of seafarers through bereavement, serious illness, and financial hardship.
To make things even more exciting, anyone who donates £5 or more will be entered into a prize draw to win one of four amazing prizes:
- Free fish and chips for a year, sponsored by Seafood from Norway
- A bottle of locally distilled rum from the fantastic Twisted Roots Distillery
- A signed Hull City football and two tickets to a home game, with Premier Lounge access
- Six Connexin Live tickets to see a show of their choice.
This year, award-winning Millers Fish & Chips—crowned Fish & Chip Shop of the Year 2018—will be bringing their mobile van all the way from Haxby, York, to serve up their famous first-class fish and chips on the day.
Two of Hull’s top fish and chip shops, Kingfisher on Spring Bank West and East Park Chippy on Holderness Road, are also getting involved by generously offering free fish and chips for a year as part of the prize draw.
Founded in 1937 on St Andrew’s Fish Dock, Smales remains independently owned by the Smales family and continues to operate from a site close to its original location. With a long-standing reputation for sourcing premium seafood, Smales is now a market leader supplying fish and chip shops and food service businesses across the UK.
Bobby Joyce, Sales and Marketing Director at Smales, said: “We ran this event last year and it was such a brilliant success that we knew we had to do it again. We’re really proud to partner with Sailors’ Children’s Society – a charity rooted in Hull’s maritime history. This is a great way to celebrate our industry and give back to the trawler families and seafaring communities that are the backbone of it.”
Adding to this Simon Smales, Co-Owner, said “As the third generation of a Hull family the has been in the seafood industry for 88 years, we are proud to support the iconic national dish that we supply 1 million portions of fish for every week and also a great charity who are looking after the welfare of seafaring families across the country.”
Sailors Children’s Society supports families of seafarers from the Royal Navy, Merchant Navy, fishing fleets, offshore wind sector, and inland waterways—providing long-term practical, emotional and financial assistance when it’s needed most. Many of the families supported have faced bereavement, serious illness or financial hardship, and the funds raised from events like this one can help keep them afloat.
Rhiannon Beeson, Head of Fundraising and Marketing at Sailors’ Children’s Society, added:
“We’re thrilled to be working with Smales on this fantastic initiative. All funds raised will go directly to families who rely on the sea for their livelihoods – from those braving the North Sea to those working further afield. Life as a seafarer is incredibly demanding, and we’re here to support those families when they need us most. We’re so grateful to Smales for choosing to support our mission.”
The event is expected to draw lunchtime crowds in Hull’s city centre, raising funds to support the work of Sailors’ Children’s Society with families of seafarers facing hardship. Donations will go directly towards providing practical and emotional support to children and families across the UK.
