FISH AND CHIP NEWCOMERS ‘GO BACK TO SCHOOL^ AS THEY TAKE PART IN PETERHEAD STUDY TRIP AS PART OF THE NATIONAL FISH & CHIP AWARDS 2013

Two fish and chip businesses, both current entrants of the Best Newcomer Award category, as part of the National Fish & Chip Awards 2013, organised by Seafish, the authority on seafood, recently took part in a two day educational trip to Peterhead in north east Scotland (3-4 December), supported by Seafood Scotland.   The two shops which took part in the exclusive visit were Blackstocks Quality Fish & Chips of Chester and Frydays Fish & Chips Emporium of Old St Mellons, Cardiff.   Peterhead is the largest whitefish port in Europe, and the all-expenses paid trip gave shop owners the opportunity to learn about the supply channels for Scottish haddock and cod to the UK fish and chip shop sector, providing a complete insight into the entire supply process including visits to key sites within the chain.

The jam-packed trip included a dinner with a variety of key industry personnel and a visit to Peterhead Fish Market and harbour, providing group members with the opportunity to experience the lively market atmosphere and understand how fish is bought and sold at auction.

The fish and chip newcomers also undertook an informative tour aboard The Budding Rose PD418, a leading whitefish fishing vessel skippered by Peter Bruce before visiting the Sustainable Seafoods fish processing unit to witness how fish is prepared for sale once it has been caught and landed.Moving on to Aberdeen, the group members met with the owners of The Ashvale, where they gained an operational insight into what it takes to run the ten fish and chip outlets that comprise The Ashvale group. This was followed by a visit to another leading fish processing company, Nolan Seafoods (UK) Limited, and a tour of their extensive facilities located at Tullos.
The Best Newcomer Award recognises outstanding new talent entering the fish and chip shop industry and is open to any independent fish and chip takeaway shop that has been trading for 18 months or less.

Paul Williams, chief executive of the competition organisers Seafish said: “We want to ensure that there is a constant flow of new talent into the fish and chip sector but it is also important that they have a strong grounding in the wider seafood industry. The Peterhead trip gave our two newcomers a rare opportunity to get some real insight into the supply chain and exactly what it takes to get fresh fish from boat to batter.

“Trips like these are inspiring for everyone involved and allow people in the myriad of roles within the industry to work together to ensure fish remains a firm favourite for many generations to come.”

Sarah Holmyard, marketing manager at Seafood Scotland, said: “Visits like this are a great way for companies to learn about the wide variety of sustainable seafood available from Scotland. Quality seafood is and will continue to be, key to the success of fish and chip shops in the future.”