“Why hasn’t Art Mel’s entered?” This is the question many people have been asking since a competition to find the Island’s best fish sandwich launched on Tuesday.

Described as “perfection” by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson and named the “best on Earth” by food blog MangoDiablo.com, the award-winning venue’s famous fish dish is hugely popular with residents and visitors.

Art Mel’s has also won the Best of Bermuda Award for the finest fish sandwich 15 times.

So why not claim the “official” crown once and for all?

Arthur Smith, owner of Art Mel’s Spicy Dicy, told The Royal Gazette: “What I do, I don’t do for competition, I do it for the people. So why would I need to enter a competition? Art Mel’s has been in newspapers and magazines for our fish sandwiches and people come to the Island looking for us. Some tourists from Philadelphia just walked through our door.”

The contest to find the best fish sandwich, run by the Bermuda Tourism Authority, features 40 restaurants and takeout counters.

People have two weeks to try their offerings and vote for their favourite.

Mr Smith said: “People want a good sandwich and the other restaurants will have to come up to my standard. We’ve set the bar high and now people will have to jump it.

“We’ve never advertised and we were in business for 17 years before we even had a sign.

“When we first started out, people just complained all the time that we were located in a bad area, on St Monica’s Road, but they still came.

“All the tourists know where we are and the locals always come.

“It’s nice what the BTA is doing, allowing other restaurants a chance to showcase their sandwiches, but I don’t think we need to enter.

“Everything we have, including our title, has been given to us, I’ve never asked for it.

“The Lord has blessed me, the people have blessed me and the best advertising comes from the people.”