Tag: UK Fish Trade

Key next steps in the de-carbonisation of the seafood industry have been laid out at a landmark event hosted at Fishmongers’ Hall.

The Seafood Grimsby & Humber Alliance (SGHA), in collaboration with industry leaders such as Hilton Seafoods, New England Seafoods, J Marr (Seafoods), and Sofina’s Young’s Seafoods, is spearheading the decarbonisation agenda within the UK seafood sector. The alliance took a significant step towards sustainability by launching the Seafish Industry Authority’s Seafood Carbon Emissions Profiling Tool at a workshop held at Fishmongers’ Hall on Thursday, 25 January.

Simon Smith, Chairperson for the Seafood Grimsby & Humber Alliance, highlighted the alliance’s dedication to supporting the decarbonisation of the seafood sector. The workshop provided an opportunity to introduce and demonstrate the Seafish tool’s capabilities, especially the recently added feature covering the wild-capture aspect. Developed collaboratively between SGHA and Seafish, this groundbreaking tool calculates the carbon footprint of seafood capture, harvest, and production, facilitating informed investment decisions to drive the necessary supply chain transformation toward Net Zero.

Seafood industry leaders, along with major retailers and food service businesses, are actively testing the tool’s ability to identify carbon hotspots in the wild-capture seafood supply chain. This data-driven approach will enable targeted efforts to reduce carbon emissions in critical supply chains. The event served as a platform to discuss progress and plan the next steps in utilising the Seafood Carbon Emissions Profiling Tool to support ongoing efforts for further decarbonisation of the seafood sector.

Marcus Coleman, CEO of Seafish, expressed the commitment to supporting a thriving UK seafood sector. He emphasised that the Seafish tool aims to quantify seafood’s position, both farmed and wild capture, as a low-carbon protein source, underscoring its role in healthy and sustainable diets.

Dr. Henrietta Boyd, a representative of the Fishmongers’ Company and facilitator of the workshop, highlighted that the Seafood Carbon Emissions Profiling Tool represents a significant leap forward in the collective journey toward a greener and more sustainable seafood sector. Once complete, the tool will empower stakeholders to make informed decisions for a healthier planet.

The collaborative efforts of SGHA and Seafish, along with the engagement of industry leaders, reflect a pivotal moment in the UK seafood industry’s commitment to carbon neutrality and sustainability.

Crisis, one of the leading UK homeless charities, works to support people sleeping rough and without permanent accommodation across the capital and beyond. Every Christmas they provide thousands of hot meals to those most in need.

Each year the Company donates a selection of seafood for use in fish pies to provide a warm and nutritious meal for London’s homeless at Christmas.

In 2022 the Company donated 360kg of a range of different fish and shellfish from Chamberlain’s at Billingsgate Market, to help Crisis feed over 1000 vulnerable people. In their Christmas campaign, Crisis provided over 3,480 people with support, from food and new clothes to long term help with housing, training, health and accommodation. They were able to give 450 people somewhere safe to stay over Christmas in hotel accomodation and served 1,724 people at their London day centres.

Nick Whiting, Corporate Donations Coordinator at Crisis explained “The fish pie is an annual favourite and was fed to over 1000 of Crisis’s guests and volunteers on Boxing Day over our four day centres in Bermondsey, Notting Hill, Hackney and Docklands.”

A new training course, funded by our Fisheries Charitable Trust in partnership with The City and Guilds Foundation, aims to showcase career opportunities across the seafood sector in England’s Northeast, recruiting more local people into stable, lucrative, and rewarding careers in seafood. 

Delivered by our charitable partners CatZero and Seafood Grimsby & Humber, alongside the Department for Work and Pensions, the programme has already seen participants secure careers in the seafood industry.

The first course – “Women into Seafood” – ran on 14^th to 16^th of June 2022. Delivered by the charity CatZero in partnership with the Grimsby Fish Merchants Association, the three-day course provided attendees a mix of hands-on training in seafood processing, alongside IT, marketing sale and procuring, plus site visits, and discussions with local business leaders.

Leia Wright, a 23 year old CatZero participant, who was introduced to the programme as part of her Universal Credit Assessment, has now found employment at Alfred Enderby, one of Grimsby’s oldest seafood businesses. Leia explained “The first day I met them and the very next day I was on a course, being helped to get skills to get employment…The Women in Seafood introduction led me to the job, I really felt that last little push helped me”.

Partick Salmon, owner of Alfred Enderby, was full of praise for their new recruit “She showed interest, and contacted us afterwards, which was impressive. While we weren’t particularly looking, there was an opportunity to offer some work, and we’d offered to interview anyway to give experience…She is very enthusiastic, takes on instructions very well and is productive. She has taken to the work in the salmon packing room, and she’s brilliant, we’re thrilled to have her.”

Pete Tighe, Operational and Partnership Manager for CatZero said: ““Leia has grown in confidence and motivation – the programme has got her inspired in the seafood industry. The opportunity was given to her and she’s taken it….The programme was a fantastic opportunity for unemployed people from the Grimsby area to learn about the opportunities open to them with the Seafood industry, that are right on their doorstep”. 

Alongside local business leaders and large processors, Emma McKeating, certified Advanced Fishmonger, joined the course to share just how varied and interesting the life of a real @girlyfishmonger can be. 

The Grimsby and Humberside region handles bulk of seafood imported and processed in the UK, employing over 6,000 people, and offering real opportunities for a diverse range of professional careers. 

Speaking about the course, Polly Rowe, from City & Guilds Foundation said: “The City & Guilds Foundation is passionate about supporting people with barriers to develop their skills. We’re delighted to be funding this exciting programme, alongside The Fishmongers’ to get more local individuals in the North East in to secure and sustained employment.”

“Simply Scallops” is a new initiative, organised by the Fish in Schools Hero programme and funded by the Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust, enabling 5000 students in 50 schools across the country to cook and taste freshly cooked dishes made with British scallops. The Food Teacher’s Centre’s Fish In Schools Hero programme aims to ensure that every child gets a chance to prepare, cook and eat fish before they leave school, and ​​trains food teachers to be confident in preparing and cooking fish with students.

Scallops are an excellent food source for students to discover and learn about, as they are low in sodium and saturated fats and are more than 80% protein. Students will have the opportunity to try dishes such as tempura scallops, pan-seared scallops with butter and black pepper, preparing them poached in a bechamel sauce, or oven baked with herbs.

While archaeological findings have shown that scallops have been eaten by humans for thousands of years, commercial scallop fishery took off in Scotland in the 1930s. Despite this, most of the students participating, have never eaten scallops before.

Scottish Scallops have been provided free of charge to schools by MacDuff (Clearwater Seafoods), from Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire. 100kg of scallops are being donated, with 2kg goign to each school.

John Ashmore​​, Marketing Director Europe, Middle‑East and Africa At Clearwater Seafoods LP, member of the livery and co-opted member of the Company’s Fish & Fisheries Committee said: “We are delighted to support the Fish in School Heroes programme by supplying our scallops for thousands of school children to try. It is so important for children to have access to foods they may not otherwise try and be the next generation of seafood enthusiasts. Scallops are so quick and simple to cook, delicious to eat, as well as being healthy and nutritious.”

M&J Seafood have taken on the massive logistical challenge to get the frozen scallops from Scotland out to the 50 lucky schools across the country. M & J Seafood stepped up to the plate to distribute the scallops through their existing logistics’ network and out to individual schools nationwide.

Matt Orr, Operations manager at M&J Seafood:

“The M & J team are passionate about seafood! We jumped at the chance to support this great initiative, using our network to deliver the scallops to 50 schools, as this will inspire and educate the next generation of fish lovers!   

We have a great working relationship with MacDuff (Clearwater Seafoods) as they represent everything that M & J are proud to supply; British, fresh, sustainable, and delicious!”

The Fishmongers’ Company have been supporting core funding for Fish in School Hero since its inception in 2019, through their Fisheries Charitable Trust. Dr Eleanor Adamson, Fisheries Programme Manager, shared her excitement at the latest seafood offering:

“We are so pleased that scallops are arriving on the menu in school classrooms this week. By supporting Fish in School Hero to help teachers across the country to access and work with seafood products, we hope we are opening the door to conversations around nutritious, sustainable, locally sourced protein, especially in communities who may not traditionally access British seafood. Donations such as this one from Macduff, distributed with the reach of M & J, will make such a difference to the students 5,000 who are involved, and we are grateful for the ongoing contributions from the seafood sector in providing such reach and impact”

Student chefs across the country will be busy practising how to prepare and cook sustainable fresh seafood, and they will be learning how scallops live in sand and gravel on the ocean bed, as well as in mud, and are dredged from the seabed using purpose-built boats, to ensure a responsible, sustainable harvest.

Andrew Marr, liveryman and seafood entrepreneur, has been awarded a CBE for services to the UK fishing industry. 

Andrew retired as chairman five years ago but remains on the Board as a non- executive director of Andrew Marr Internaional, which has extensive interests in fish catching in Peterhead and Fraserburgh as well as in international fish trading and cold storage. 

Based in Humberside, the region responsible for processing over 60% of UK seafood, the Marr family’s involvement in the seafood industry stretches back to the 1870s, with Andrew joining the family business in 1960. 

Today the company has a global footprint and a portfolio of businesses across all sectors of the industry from logistics and sourcing to trading and distribution. Marrfish, one of their subsidiaries, supplies fresh fish and seafood to hotels, restaurants and pubs in London, the South East & East Midlands. 

A liveryman since 2011, Andrew served as High Sheriff of the East Riding of Yorkshire from 1999-2000 and he was appointed Vice Lord-Lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire in 2011. 

Andrew is also an Honorary Brother of Hull Trinity House (founded in 1369) and a Younger Brother of London Trinity House. He is also a member and former Governor of the Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York, as well as being an Honorary Freeman of Beverley and President of the Beverley Civic Society. 

The Food Teacher’s Centre’s Fish in School Hero programme, funded by the Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust, is bringing British mussels into 200 schools across the UK this week. The Fish in School Hero programme aims to ensure that every child gets a chance to prepare, cook and eat fish before they leave school, developing the next generation of seafood lovers.

Through “Mussel Power” 8000 students in 200 hundred schools across the country this week are cooking and tasting sensational freshly cooked dishes made with British mussels, such as Thai Style Mussel Broth, Tagliatelle Mussels, Seafood Pie, Mussel Fritters, Bacon and Mussel tart. The student chefs will be busy practising how to prepare and cook sustainable fresh fish, and they will be learning how mussels are rope-grown and harvested sustainably and provide key nutrients. Most of these students have never eaten mussels before.

“Can we order two tonnes of mussels please, and could you deliver them to 200 schools? We know that delivery might be quite tricky right now, but any chance?” This was the request that Simon Gray (Senior Associate, Food Teachers Centre UK) put to the fish industry.  He was overwhelmed with the positive response and ‘can do’ approach with Offshore Shellfish donating the produce and Fowey Shellfish and M&J Seafood providing the logistical support to deliver the mussels to schools across the country

“Mussels are one of the most under-utilised shellfish in this country, so we are getting young people to try them in the safe, positive environment of their food and nutrition lessons.  This would not have been possible without the amazing industry partners offering to support this so that there is no cost to schools. Schools are super excited and hugely grateful for Sarah at Offshore Shellfish’s generous gift and in awe of the logistical processing and delivery challenges navigated so expertly by Matt and Pat.”  said Simon.

Offshore Shellfish kindly donated 2 tonnes of grade ‘A’ rope grown mussels especially for this initiative. Sarah Holmyard, Offshore Shellfish, Head of Sales and Marketing says: “We are delighted to support the Fish in School Heroes programme by supplying our mussels for thousands of school children to try. It is so important for children to have access to foods they may not otherwise try and be the next generation of seafood enthusiasts. Mussels are so quick and simple to cook, are great for you, and great for the environment so are perfect for the children to try”.

Fowey Shellfish have been key in collecting and transporting the mussels, ready to be shipped off to schools all around the UK. Pat Currah, Operations Manager, explained: “Fowey Shellfish have been instrumental in the whole process and have arranged timely collection of the mussels from Brixham, transporting them back to Fowey to be depurated overnight, and then packed to maintain the quality and safety of the produce, ready for the next stage of the journey to schools.”

From there M&J Seafood have used their delivery team to transport the produce to the schools, ready to be enjoyed by hungry and eager pupils. Matt Orr, Operations Manager, said: “M&J Seafood have taken on the massive logistical challenge to get the shellfish out to the 200 lucky schools across the country. M & J Seafood stepped up to the plate to distribute the mussels through their existing logistics’ network and out to individual schools nationwide.”

26 fishmongers from across the UK were rewarded for their skills, knowledge and passion at the third Master Fishmonger Standard Awards Ceremony, hosted at Fishmongers’ Hall on Monday 25th October.

The ceremony, hosted by comedian Aideen McQueen and opened by Court Member and Chairman of the Fish & Fisheries Committee Nigel Bankes, recognised fishmongers across all levels of the trade, from new entrants to those with decades of experience.

The Master Fishmonger Standard assesses technical skills, knowledge of the fishing trade and sustainability as well has hygiene and customer service to acknowledge those that uphold the highest standard in the fishmonger trade. Entrants are examined by those who have achieved Master status, fostering peer-to-peer learning and the sharing of best practice in the sector.

Stewart McQueen, CEO of the Seafood School at Billingsgate, who manage the Master Fishmonger Standard, with support from the Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust, explained: “It was great to hold the event in person after 2 years and seeing so many awards presented, we look forward to continuing participation in the scheme and recognising the talent in the industry”.

The start of 2021 has proved an exciting time for the Company’s Discover Seafood project, working to promote the consumption of locally caught seafood at a critical time for the UK’s fishing industry, launching a new UK coastal relay and working collaboratively to connect the public with seasonal British seafood. Here, Sophie Fontes, who, as part of an internship with Mindfully Wired Communications, sponsored by our targeted academic sponsorship programme, has been supporting the programme over the last few months, provides an update on its progress and how the internship has developed her knowledge of the UK seafood sector and developed her career opportunities.

Well, three months is already up and a part of me feels like I’ve only just submitted my welcome blog! But if I think back to where I was when I began at Discover Seafood and where I am now, I realise how much we have fitted into a mere three months and how far I have come in regards to my knowledge and understanding of the UK fishing industry.

With the invaluable support and advice from Harriet and Elspeth at Mindfully Wired, and Gavin at The Fishmongers’ Company, I have dived right into the world of Discover Seafood; writing blogs, managing social media, creating graphics, making videos, editing websites, researching ports and so much more.

Before beginning the programme, I considered my knowledge of UK fishing to be quite limited and was eager to learn more. I have been blown away by what I have seen and read, especially by the vast array of seafood we have right here on our doorstep and by the people who work within the industry; their histories, stories and passion for sustainable seafood. In three months, we have seen many more seafood retailers sign up to the map, enabling us to connect customers with local fish suppliers, allowing us to play a small part in supporting independent businesses during what has been a challenging time. I have also found myself frequently using the site for recipe inspiration and to check which species are in season every month, as well as constantly recommending it to family and friends who have been interested to hear where they too can find fresh UK fish.

It has been especially exciting to be part of the project whilst the topic of eating more UK seafood has been so prevalent in the media, with the Prime Minister calling for a campaign to encourage people to eat more fish and the CFPO tackling the public’s perceptions of under-loved UK species. One of my hopes at the start of the internship was to learn more about creative communication strategy which can instigate positive change, so what a perfect case study Discover Seafood has been in the effectiveness of good communications. Through our social media presence, celebrating fishermen’s stories, sharing recipes and (most recently) launching the UK seafood relay, we aimed to harness the increased public interest in UK fish and effectively use the Discover Seafood platform to educate, inspire and incite change.

Being a part of the project has sparked multiple conversations with friends and family and it’s been encouraging to find so many people eager to try more UK seafood, but don’t always know where to start. I have found Discover Seafood to be an absolutely vital educational project and the website an incredibly useful tool for people to use. It’s been a pleasure to be a part of the Discover Seafood team and I’m very grateful to Gavin and The Fishmongers’ Fisheries Charitable Trust for the opportunity.

Although my internship with the Fishmonger’s has come to an end, I am thrilled that Mindfully Wired is taking me on for longer to work on their diverse range of projects. One of these is the Discover Seafood UK Relay, which I am especially excited to be working on over the next few months. This is the next step for Discover Seafood, bringing together a diverse range of coastal explorers who are keen to discover local seafood and share stories from the fascinating fishing communities all over the UK. We’ve already had many people signing up to take part in the project and our aim is to have an explorer in every port! If you’d like to become a relay explorer or you’re simply interested in reading more about the project, you can head to it’s homepage here.

The UK Relay is the exciting next step in advancing Discover Seafood’s ongoing work to celebrate the UK seafood industry and the fascinating people behind it. Our goal is to form an inspiring collective of professional and hobbyist creatives who will gather stories from key fishing towns that will be shared on the Discover Seafood website and social media channels. The relay will ultimately foster a greater understanding of local seafood at a point in time when support and recognition of the UK fishing industry is absolutely critical. 

We are on the hunt for passionate journalists, bloggers, photographers and filmmakers, who are keen to use their tale-telling talents to shed light on the ‘faces of fishing’ and ‘undiscovered’ local gems in their area. 

As a Coastal Explorer for the UK Relay you will identify opportunities to attend seaside events, make meaningful connections with members of the community, visit places of interest and (best of all!) try local seafood. Document your experiences through whichever medium you choose. This can be via blog posts, short films, illustrations, photography essays or vlogs. The stories collected by our Coastal Explorers will cover every inch of the UK coastline with tastes, experiences, personal testimonies and local insights.

Whether you’re up on the Isle of Skye or down south in Penzance, we are looking for people who are either passionate about their local patch or have an eye for adventure and a willingness to explore further afield and try something new. 

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What’s in it for you? 

At the end of the year, to celebrate your achievements and to thank you for your work, you’ll have the opportunity to attend a networking event with industry professionals and fellow Coastal Explorers at the Hall, where work from the UK Relay will be presented.

This is an exciting opportunity for individuals to build their creative skills and writing experience, whilst educating and inspiring a new audience of seafood enthusiasts to go out and support the incredible businesses that exist on their doorstep. Volunteer writers and content creators will also be able to reference Discover Seafood and the Fishmongers’ Company on their CV. 

Click here to sign up now.