To coincide with the annual event, the BPC has published the results of a survey which found that fish and chips is the UK's favourite takeaway meal, voted top by 41 per cent of those surveyed.

The week-long Love Chips celebration is being backed by well-known UK personalities from the modelling and TV worlds: Ant and Dec, Kate Moss, David Jason, Jamie Theakston and Melinda Messenger.

And the BPC believes the UK is a nation of secret chip-lovers with the sales of potatoes and chips not tallying with the number of people who say they eat chips.

For its part, the NFU has supplied little red tractor banners to Booker cash and carry distribution centres around the UK to encourage buyers to support farm assured potatoes.

'Potaotes are fantastically versatile and of all our favourite dishes, chips continue to cut through the cmopetition to claim the honours,' said NFU vice president Michael Paske. 'This campaign gives us another reason for putting chips on the menu.'

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