THE fish <strong>friers</strong> REVIEW At the time <strong>of</strong> writing, there are only ten fish and chip shops in the UK with <strong>Mar</strong>ine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. As the certification procedure is not that challenging, and getting easier all the time, with real business benefits to be had upon certification; the question must be asked... why have you not applied yet? Great work is going on behind the scenes between the NFFF and MSC to make the process easier so now is the time to take steps to a sustainable future. Perceived Value We found MSC certification to be a fantastic marketing tool. Their ecolabel (that you need certification to display) is getting to be well known by the general public and you see more and more MSC fish in the frozen food cabinets <strong>of</strong> all the leading supermarkets. To be able to have the MSC logo on your menus, shop window, website etc. is a great plus. It adds perceived value in the eyes <strong>of</strong> your customers, by adding to their feel-good factor when munching your fish and chips. Plus the wonderful thing is that there is only a minimal additional cost to you <strong>of</strong> purchasing MSC fish compared to non-MSC. For you to benefit from being certified, the chain needs to be complete from the sea to the final consumer. The fishery, the wholesaler and you all need to be certified – but many fisheries and suppliers already are so you may be just the last link in the chain. MSC fisheries grow in number every year and there are numerous UK national wholesalers that are MSC certified, we buy from Fastnet and Smales, but there are lots and lots more, please check out the “Find a supplier” section on the MSC’s 8 A Shining Light As current holders <strong>of</strong> the <strong>National</strong> <strong>Fish</strong> & Chip Award’s ‘Good Catch’ Award, Peter Fraser <strong>of</strong> Harbour Lights in Falmouth knows more than most when it comes to the benefits <strong>of</strong> sourcing sustainable seafood. We hear from Peter on how achieving Chain <strong>of</strong> Custody is helping his business Richardson’s <strong>Fish</strong> Bar Richardson’s who already have a reputation for serving excellent quality fish were keen to source sustainable Cod and Haddock while maintaining the highest possible quality. By working directly with their network <strong>of</strong> trawler owners, Smales were able to provide the solution, sustainable MSC certified frozen at sea Cod and Haddock, caught within the deep clean waters <strong>of</strong> the Barents Sea. Chris Richardson, owner <strong>of</strong> Richardson's <strong>Fish</strong> Bar said “It has been a worthwhile process to get MSC accreditation, we wanted to demonstrate our commitment to sourcing only the best quality fish from sustainable stocks and we are pleased that Smales are able to help with our sourcing <strong>of</strong> MSC approved Cod & Haddock.” If you would like to know more about availability <strong>of</strong> MSC Frozen at Sea Cod & Haddock please contact Lewis Smales on 01482 324997 or email lewis.smales@smales.co.uk Rock<strong>Fish</strong> Dartmouth’s Rock<strong>Fish</strong> Seafood & Chips, owned by food writer and restaurateur Mitch Tonks and business partner and long term friend Mat Prowse have now achieved MSC certification. Rockfish will be <strong>of</strong>fering its customers certified sustainable Norwegian cod and haddock as part <strong>of</strong> its everyday menu. Mitch Tonks explained: “Everyone in the seafood industry is aware <strong>of</strong> sustainability and the issues surrounding it. We are fortunate to be able to buy Peter (far right) and members <strong>of</strong> his team proudly display the ‘blue tick’ Sustainability Special website: www.msc.org. You would have no difficulty in sourcing MSC Cod, Haddock, Hake, Prawns and Salmon but the list increases all the time. Has being MSC certified helped my business? Definitely a big “Yes”. Let’s get specific: 4 What a fantastic PR story it will be for your shop. Was for us, even got invited in to Radio Cornwall to talk on air about sustainable fish & the Harbour Lights 4 Your shop will have a USP (Unique Selling Proposition) that your competitors are unlikely to have. You are likely to have always had a quality product but now you have a bit more to <strong>of</strong>fer. You have more ability to walk away from local price wars. 4 The 15 – 25 age group “get” the environmental message a lot more than us old timers. They are the future <strong>of</strong> your business. The last two years, sales at the Harbour Lights have increased by 15% p.a., despite a major celebrity chef opening a fish and chip shop 200 yards from our front door. Yes, I think going fully down the sustainable fish route is a good idea. If you would like to discuss anything regarding sustainable fish or MSC certification, I would love to help, please contact me on pete@harbourlights.co.uk or 07971 653013. Peter Fraser, Owner, Harbour Lights www.harbourlights.co.uk 3 more chippies lead the way to a sustainable future MSC have had a busy start to the year as three more fish and chip shops have achieved chain <strong>of</strong> custody STOP PRESS direct from our local market in Brixham where the fishery is extremely well managed. We don’t land a huge amount <strong>of</strong> cod and haddock locally and I wanted our supply <strong>of</strong> these species to be the best around to match the quality <strong>of</strong> the local fish. That meant it had to be sustainable and line caught, my search took me to Norway where I believe we found the best fish in the world <strong>of</strong> its kind. I am really proud to be able to <strong>of</strong>fer our customers a sustainable choice <strong>of</strong> seafood.” The Big Blue Cheshire fish and chip fans have reason to celebrate as fish and chip shops in Wilmslow and Grappenhall have become the first in the county to achieve <strong>Mar</strong>ine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. The Big Blue chippies now sell fish from an MSC certified sustainable source with cod and haddock soon to join MSC certified South Africa hake on the menu. All <strong>of</strong> these feel-good fishy suppers carry a blue MSC eco-label next to them on the menu. Proprietor Phil Geary explains: “We take pride in making sure that our customers have the best choice <strong>of</strong> fish available to them. We felt it was the correct thing to do to make a positive contribution to the future <strong>of</strong> fish stocks by undertaking <strong>Mar</strong>ine Stewardship Council certification to show our customers that the fish & chips that they buy from us come from a certified sustainable source.” The NFFF would like to congratulate all <strong>of</strong> these forward thinking chippies for leading the way The Chip Box, in Stewarton, Ayrshire, is now the latest fish and chip shop to gain chain <strong>of</strong> custody. Full story next issue!
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