Northern Irish and Yorkshire chippies smart use of social media at heart of sustainable seafood award success 

Belfast’s Fish City was the big foodservice winner at the Marine Stewardship Council UK Awards in Edinburgh last night, landing two of the major prizes. 

The seafood and fish and chip restaurant, which has been committed to sourcing and serving sustainable produce since it opened in 2013, was named MSC UK Marketing Champion 2025.  

Receiving his award at a glitzy ceremony at the Signet Library in Edinburgh last night, owner John Lavery said: “In this current climate and difficulties in the fish and chip industry, it’s never been more important to introduce other species to alleviate the pressure on what the public regard as the ‘go to’ such as cod and haddock. Being MSC certified means that the public can trust what is on their plate and can contribute to the mission we are on.”  

The judges were impressed by Fish City’s creative and effective efforts to promote awareness of sustainable seafood amongst its staff and customers, launching in-house training and developing and running a Kids Club which has seen more than 150 young students participate in an immersive educational experience. The restaurant’s social media channels have carried a regular stream of engaging posts championing sustainable seafood consumption, and the kitchen team developed several popular new MSC certified dishes. 

The second of Fish City’s awards was MSC UK Foodservice Champion 2025 which was won by Aaron Norton, Fish City’s Social Media Manager, for his efforts in masterminding the restaurant’s social media campaigns and ongoing activities. 

After receiving his award, Aaron said: “It’s a huge honour to win an MSC award. As an individual and speaking on behalf of Fish City, we take sustainability so seriously. It’s part of who we are. We partner with MSC to ensure sustainable seafood is there for future generations.” 

Another fish and chip winner was The Scrap Box in York, named MSC UK Newcomer of the Year 2025, in part for a video series, Will It Fry?, designed to explore MSC-certified species in a creative way. The series achieved over 200,000 views across social media. Judges were also impressed with Saithe September, launched in Sustainable Seafood September, to encourage customers to try a lesser-known species. 

Taking to the stage to collect his award, owner Aman Dhesi said: “We’re so proud to win the newcomer of the year. We’ve only been MSC certified for a year, but, in that time, this has become one of the foundations that’s allowed The Scrap Box to be trusted when it comes to fish and chips. 

“Hopefully we’ve shown that even in challenging times, independents can thrive — and that sustainability and tradition really can go hand in hand. We’re proud to champion that future.” 

Rowan Williams, MSC UK & Ireland Commercial Officer, said: “Restaurants have such an important role in influencing consumer behaviour. Both Fish City and Scrap Box have taken that responsibility and run with it – changing their customers’ buying habits for the better while also taking their workforce on their sustainability journey with them.” 

Meanwhile, Brakes and M&J, part of Sysco GB, were named MSC UK Foodservice Supplier of the Year 2025 – repeating their success of last year. 

Other notable winners on the night included: 

Tesco, awarded Gold in the Supermarket of the Year category for the excellent progress it’s made in increasing the number of its MSC labelled products and volume sold 

Sainsbury’s awarded ASC UK Retailer of the Year for its 100% commitment to sourcing ASC-certified seafood and for offering the highest share of responsibly farmed products both in-store and online. 

Poole Harbour Clam and Cockle Fishery won the Marine Stewardship Council UK (MSC) Ocean Leadership Award for its innovative use of drones to protect stocks, the livelihoods of permitted fishermen and its unique marine environment.