"IT'S not just a fish and chip shop", the winner of Come Dine with Me: The Professionals has said.

Owner of Balls of Prudhoe Anne Ball Blakeburn and front-of-house Garry Stewart scored 37 out of 40 on the new, Channel 4 spin-off show.

The 52-year-old, family-run business on Front Street was up against award-winning Namaste Indian Restaurant & Club Prosecco Lounge in Sunniside and Pigalo's American, North Shields.

"I've got to get myself back down to earth now", said Anne. "My phone has never stopped and people are literally opening the door and shouting 'you were fabulous.'

"We're lucky to live in Prudhoe; the feedback you get off the public is just absolutely lovely.

"We thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the Come Dine with Me experience and want to thank and congratulate all the other competitors that we had the pleasure to dine with.

"To take part in such a fabulous tv show was one thing, but winning the competition has certainly blew us away.

"Balls of Prudhoe are a family and we certainly wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for our loyal customers and fabulous staff."

Anne, whose husband Stevie also works in the business, and Garry wowed guests with their garlic king prawns, leek pudding with steak and gravy and Eton mess.

Anne added: "I wanted to promote the restaurant; it's not just a fish and chip shop. You can get a lovely salad, liver and onion, jacket potato. You can come here for a party and have a hot or cold buffet. 

"People are gobsmacked when they come in, they think they're coming to a fish and chip shop restaurant and it's nothing like that. 

"That night we got people in from Wallsend for the steak dumplings."