Readers have voted No 1 Cromer and Mary Janes Fish and Chips in Cromer among their favourite fish and chip shops in Norfolk, putting two familiar names from the coast into a countywide list timed to National Fish and Chip Day on Friday, June 5.

That matters in Cromer because the town’s fish and chip trade is not just a seasonal draw, but part of its identity, and Mary Janes has been serving the Norfolk coast since 1977. It sits only a stone’s throw from Cromer Pier at 27-29 Garden Street, where its fully licenced restaurant can seat 62 people and its kitchen turns out fish and other traditional meals cooked to order.

Mary Janes also arrives on the list with a recent mark of recognition: a Blue Ribbon in the Good Food Awards 2024/25. That gives the restaurant an added layer of credibility in a reader-voted ranking that is meant to reflect local taste, not a judge’s panel.

What the list does not make clear is how the vote was counted or how many votes each shop received, so the placement of No 1 Cromer and Mary Janes cannot be measured against the rest of the field from the details provided. The result still puts both Cromer businesses in the frame at a moment when coastal food stops are under the spotlight, but it leaves the exact margin of support off the page.

For Cromer, the takeaway is straightforward: readers put the town on the map again, and Mary Janes now has a fresh public showing to add to its long run on the coast. The unanswered question is not whether Cromer was noticed, but how far up the reader-voted list its fish and chip shops really finished.