The NFFF has identified sustainability as a key business area and a benchmark that the fish frying industry should embrace - both as a way to improve business practices and also safeguard the future of the industry, whilst protecting fish numbers and their environment.

As the NFFF are keen to promote a high standard of sustainability amongst Quality Award holders, they are able to offer a special reduced cost (£250), for MSC certification. This means the fish and chip shop is able to source and promote MSC sustainable fish with the well recognised blue ecolabel, and offer a choice from the wide range of MSC certified fish and seafood available in the UK.

The opportunity to gain the MSC ecolabel (for less), means customers see they’re eating top quality AND MSC sustainable fish, from a top quality, award-winning fish and chip shop!

The MSC ^blue tick^ ecolabel is the most trusted and recognised indicator of seafood sustainability and is used to show that seafood has come from an independently certified sustainable fishery. The blue tick is becoming increasingly familiar to consumers, is awarded at all points of the supply chain, to fisheries, suppliers and vendors and is the most trusted way of showing that your fish is sustainably sourced.

For a fish and chip shop to display the MSC ecolabel it will need to get Chain of Custody certification. (Every link in the supply chain has to be certified to the MSC Chain of Custody standard to ensure full traceability.)

Benefits to your business

• Increased customer confidence –in offering both sustainable & traceable fish.

New independent research revealed 61% of respondents believing restaurants should show sustainable options on their menus. It also showed the demand for traceable seafood - specifically in the UK, has increased from 61% to 67% in the last 2 years.

• Increased range of MSC certified seafood and consistent quality

- Cod, haddock, hake and plaice all being served as staple MSC certified species.
- 13 species from UK fisheries landed in the UK. Some chippies are using Scottish scallops, brown crab and mussels.

• Being able to reassure customers about your sustainable sourcing policy by proudly displaying the ecolabel.

• MSC ‘s excellent staff training materials ensure knowledgeable customer interaction – for confident and assured answers to sustainable species, sourcing, and suppliers.

Why getting MSC certification makes sense…

Adrian Fusco at Quayside:

…”it has been really important to us to only sell fish products that have been responsibly sourced from a sustainable fishery, it makes sense for the future of the whole industry….To remain competitive, we had to add value to our end product by communicating ‘sustainable fishery’ to our customers. There is no better way to do this than displaying the MSC Ecolabel.

…having MSC certified fish and being an MSC certified restaurant raises the profile of a business, …your product instantly seems better because you can communicate the full traceability and explain why the product is MSC.”

Our business has grown from strength to strength in the past year,

…by displaying our MSC Ecolabel, we’re educating and raising awareness for sustainable fishing. More people are inclined to come back to us again and again, in the safe knowledge of exactly where and how our fish is sourced.

Craig Maw at Kingfisher:

…”since Kingfisher achieved MSC accreditation there was no holding back; being certified has given us as a business the confidence to give our customers confidence.

Our customers love the fact that our Cod, Haddock, and Hake is Certified Sustainable, and indeed travel far to eat our MSC certified Fish.

We also find that MSC Certified fish is out of the top drawer for quality.”

Craig Maw on the ecolabel :

"It’s attracted a lot of questions and enquiries about what MSC stands for and why it^s so important. Having used the training material to educate all our staff, they are now more than well equipped to answer any such queries.”

Georg Clark of the MSC:

"Businesses wanting to show their customers that they are committed to sourcing and serving MSC certified seafood will now find it a lot easier to source key species such as cod, haddock, plaice and hake with more certified suppliers than ever supplying these key species. With new routes to getting certified, such as this special Quality Award holder offer for MSC certification for £250 (normally £350), it’s a great opportunity to get MSC Chain of Custody and use the ecolabel on your menu”.

For further information about the Marine Stewardship Council and how to gain MSC certification for your fish and chip shop please contact George Clark, MSC UK Commercial Manager at george.clark@msc.org or 0207 246 8917.