Plymouth fish & chip shop among most sustainable in UK

Seafish, the public body that supports the £10b UK seafood industry, has today revealed Harbourside Fish and Chips in Plymouth, Devon, as a finalist in the ‘Good Catch’ – The Sustainable Seafood Award, as part of the 2019 National Fish & Chip Awards.

Harbourside Fish and Chips will now go head to head with three other businesses in a bid to be crowned the UK’s most sustainable.

The ‘Good Catch’ award is strongly focused on the policies and procedures entrants have in place to ensure the responsible sourcing of fish and shellfish. Finalists were also judged on how well they inform their customers about the sustainable credentials of their menu, including the journey of fish from net to plate. In addition, shops were appraised on how they promote best practice in sustainability to their industry colleagues, including how they plan to tackle issues facing the responsible sourcing of seafood.

There will be a final round of in depth assessments made by industry judges to review both the front and back of house operational aspects of shops, including assessing their customer service and quality of the fish and chips on offer. This will determine the overall national winner who will be announced at the 31st anniversary awards ceremony.

Marcus Coleman, Chief Executive at Seafish, commented: “These four businesses live and breathe sustainability, a crucial element of not just fish and chips but the wider seafood industry. We’ve found consumer interest in provenance to be higher than ever, so the question of where and how seafood has been sourced cannot be overlooked.

“A real commitment to the responsible and sustainable sourcing of produce is critical to futureproofing what is one of nation’s best loved dishes, and therefore the longevity of our industry as a whole. These finalists have proven their passion for both responsible and sustainable sourcing practices within their own businesses, but also to leading the conversation amongst their industry peers.”

The ‘Good Catch – The Sustainable Seafood Award’ is cosponsored by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).

Rajina Gurung, Seafood Sustainability Advocate of Marine Conservation Society, said: “We are delighted to see another strong set of applicants for the 2019 Good Catch Award and it has been extremely tough to determine the shortlist. It’s really inspiring to see fish and chip businesses increasingly committing to sourcing their seafood responsibly and proving their sustainable credentials by offering customers 100% traceable fish that is MSC-certified sustainable.

Loren Hiller, UK & Ireland Commercial Officer of Marine Stewardship Council, added: “Many congratulations to the finalists this year – customers visiting these chippies will be pleased to see the huge commitment they’ve made to ensuring there’s fish for future generations. Long live fish and chips!”

The winner of the Good Catch Award will be announced at The National Fish & Chip Awards’ 31st anniversary ceremony in London on 24 January 2019.

For more information about the awards visit: http://www.fishandchipawards.com/ or follow @fishnchipawards / #fishnchipawards on Twitter

For more information about fish and chips: www.fishisthedish.co.uk/win/national-fish-chip-awards or follow @fishisthedish.