This week's fishermen and fishmongers: 29 June

Our interactive map is constantly growing with new fishermen, fishmongers and merchants from across the country. Each week we will feature some of the new entries to the site, telling the story of the methods they use to catch, prepare and sell their seafood and the range of species available across the UK.

Downies of Whitehills, Banff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Downies of Whitehills is a long established family business that can trace it’s roots back more than 120 years. As a supporter of local fishing boats, the fish market at Whitehills was the major source of fish for more than 110 years. Whilst Whitehills market has closed, Downies continue to source the best in Scottish seafood from the markets are Peterhead, Fraserbrugh, Kinlochbervie, Scrabster and even Shetland. To ensure that only quality fresh Scottish fish is available to customers, Alan Downie specially selects fish at the local markets on a daily basis, once selected the fish is quickly transported to the factory in Whitehills for processing. They also buy seasonally, ensuring that customers receive the freshest product at a fantastic price.

Pysgod Llŷn Seafood, Y Maes, Pwllheli, Gwynedd, Wales

At Llyn Seafood, a husband and wife team with 30 years experience of preparing, cooking and choosing the best quality seafood, fish is at the heart of everything they do. Owner Stephen’s interest in  fish started at an early age during the summer months spent in Malta fishing with his uncles on their  Luzzu. During his teens he helped his mother in the kitchen of their seafood restaurant, ‘The Dive Inn’ on the Llyn Peninsula. After studying at catering college Stephen eventually returned to Llyn with Kathryn where they, together with his sister and brother-in law opened their own seafood restaurant, The’ Twnti’ Seafood Restaurant. They co-owned the restaurant for 14 years during which time Stephen developed his fish buying skills as the chef.
Llyn Seafoods was bought in 1998 – both businesses being run side by side until Stephen and Kathryn left the restaurant to concentrate on the retail side of fish, and since then have built the high reputation Llyn Seafoods has today. Today, Stephen and Kathryn also operate a separate commercial kitchen where they create all their fabulous and tasty homemade meals + products for the shop. Their art of combining local quality and taste to make sensational dishes has even won them True Taste of Wales awards for their products. For them it’s not just a job, but a pleasure to deliver a fine choice of fish and shellfish to the dishes of Wales.
 
BH Fish, Poole, Hampshire, England 

The coronavirus shut down all restaurants in the UK and most of Europe, leaving Poole’s local fishermen with no trade and the population in lockdown. BH Fish was founded as a way to support our fishermen and to encourage the local community to cook freshly caught lobster, crab, sea sass, sole, turbot, cod, monkfish and much more at home. All of their fish are wild caught on the South Coast using sustainable, low impact fishing methods. Lobster & crab are caught out in Poole Bay and oysters, cockles & clams from inside the harbour.

Each day the fishermen will return to Poole Quay with their daily catch, which is then be uploaded to the website, Facebook and Instagram pages. The ‘Catch of the Day’ section details the daily offerings, and this fresh fish and shellfish can the be ordered online and delivered straight to your door.

 

Seafresh, Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland
Selling direct from Bangor harbour, Seafresh specialise in fresh Irish Sea shellfish offering crabs, langoustines lobster, mussels, winkles and king scallops as well as wet fish such as Dover sole, all caught by local vessels fishing from Bangor, Ardglass and Portaferry. Orders can be placed via their facebook page, with payment available via PayPal, bank transfer and cash on collection.