LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- A Scottish fish and chip shop visited by Prince William , Robert De Niro and Tom Hanks has been crowned the best place in Britain to eat the national dish . Robert and Alison Smith , the owners of the Anstrhuther Fishbar in Fife , celebrate their success . The UK is in recession , but the nation 's traditional takeaway dish is showing no sign of a downturn . Sales rose at 9,500 chippies in Britain by 1.7 percent last year , according to Seafish , a seafood industry group . The Anstrhuther Fishbar in Fife , Scotland was crowned the best chippy of 2008 following a rigorous selection procedure that included a customer vote , taste tests and two intense rounds of shop inspections . `` Fish and chip shops are well-placed to prosper in the current economic climate as they offer value for money and a quality product with a feel-good factor , '' competition judge Andy Gray said . `` Despite the credit crunch , people still want to enjoy small luxuries . Fish and chips are a national institution which have survived the test of time and will be around for many years to come . '' Fishbar owner Robert Smith said that the start of 2009 had been the busiest January since the harbor front shop opened in 2003 . Smith , who also owns a fish processing business , said dedication was the key to the shop 's success . `` We are passionate about our business and we just do it right , '' he said . Fish and chips is the most popular hot takeaway in Britain , with 276 million meals eaten every year , according to Seafish figures .
Scottish fish and chip shop visited by Prince William named best in UK . Sales of UK 's national dish up despite country slipping into recession . 276 million meals eaten every year in UK , according to industry figures .