Colmans of South Shields has set a benchmark for sustainability in the fish and chip shop sector as the first winner of the Good Catch[1] Award for Sustainability. The new award – created for this year’s Fish and Chip shop of the Year competition run by Seafish [2] – aims to further advance  sustainable sourcing in the sector by increasing awareness of responsibly-sourced seafood and the practical support available to fish and chip shops.

 Colmans of South Shields are already well-known for their long-standing passion for sustainability, and the Good Catch Award is national recognition of their hard work and foresight in putting sustainability on the menu.  Colmans already offer their customers Marine Stewardship Council-certified sustainable pollock and they particularly impressed the judges with their knowledge of the issues around sustainable sourcing. They drew further praise for their detailed menus and specials board where customers can see which boat caught the shops’ local options.

 Colmans‘ regular, South Shields MP and Foreign Secretary, David Miliband was one of the first to congratulate Colmans on their success: “I am delighted that Colmans have won the first Good Catch Award for sustainability -  Richard, Frances and their team are dedicated to ensuring that all the fish and seafood they use is sourced from sustainable and well-managed fisheries,” said Miliband.

 “Colmans’ guests have ranged from former Prime Minister Tony Blair to Hollywood actor Sir Patrick Stewart and Lord Peter Mandelson – all have commented on how good the food is and how they wish they lived closer so they too could be regulars at Colmans.”

 ”Colmans has always embraced sustainability and our whole team are delighted that the Good Catch Award recognises our work at the forefront of this issue,” said Richard Ord, owner of Colmans. “Sourcing seafood with integrity is the future for Britain’s fish and chip shops.”

 As part of the award, Colmans will be invited to hold a demonstration at Hotelympia, an industry showcase event, where they will join chefs from Fifteen in showing how sustainable seafood can benefit business. They will also receive consultations with members of the Good Catch group on how to further embed sustainability into their business plans, marketing materials, and a supply of MSC- certified fish to sell in the restaurant. 

 Runners up Alfie Grimshaw, from Kenilworth and Habour Lights of Falmouth also impressed the judges with their strong stance on sustainable sourcing and innovative communications engaging customers; they will each receive a free Marine Stewardship Council online assessment for certification and consultations through the year with the Good Catch group.

 End

Notes to Editors

For further information, please contact Julia Roberson, at SeaWeb on 0207 922 7781 or email jroberson@seaweb.org

[1] Seafish, the authority on seafood, was founded in 1981 by an act of parliament and supports the seafood industry for a sustainable, profitable future. Seafish services range from research and development, economic consulting, market research and training and accreditation through to account management and legislative advice for the seafood industry. www.seafish.org

[2] Good Catch, an initiative of the Marine Conservation Society, the Marine Stewardship Council, SeaWeb’s Seafood Choices and Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming, is a collaborative project that helps the foodservice sector navigate seafood sustainability.  It directs foodservice professionals to a range of user-friendly materials and activities on sustainable seafood, including The Good Catch Manual: a rough guide to seafood sustainability. The Manual includes MCS seafood ratings, information on Marine Stewardship Council-certified fisheries, top tips to ask suppliers, all in an easy-to-use format. Together the Good Catch workshops, fieldtrips, publications and online tools create a collection of clear, consistent information and practical support. 

For more information, visit www.goodcatch.org.uk.

The Marine Stewardship Council is working with Good Catch on sustainability issues and the potential for certification with the Fish and Chip shop sector as part of its ’MSC on the Menu’ project. This has work has been funded by Defra’s Greener Living Fund (GLF). For more information on the GLF, please visit: www.greenerlivingfund.org.uk

The MSC is working with The Good Catch Initiative on sustainability issues and the potential for MSC certification with the Fish and Chip shop sector as part of its ‘MSC on the Menu’ project.

Three fish and chip shops have reached the finals for the Good Catch Sustainability Award as part of this year’s Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Competition, run by Seafish [1]. With nearly 276 million meals sold each year from over 10,500 shops across the UK, fish and chips are a key part of our nation’s seafood culture. Alfie Grimshaw from Kenilworth, Colman’s of South Shields and Falmouth’s Harbour Lights, all impressed the judges with their work towards sustainable sourcing and knowledge of the issues around sustainable seafood.

A new award

The Good Catch Award, created for this year’s competition, recognises fish and chip shops that have shown initiative in improving the environmentally responsible practices of their business and the seafood that they buy, serve and promote. This new award aims to encourage further progress across the fish and chip sector by increasing awareness of sustainably sourced seafood and the practical support available to businesses.

Emily Howgate of Seafood Choices and Good Catch coordinator, said: “Ten, or even five years ago, sustainable sourcing would not have been on the agenda for most fish and chip shops. Now, with increasing consumer awareness of ethical and environmental issues, fish and chip shops are really starting to put sustainability on the menu – where it belongs. The Good Catch Award will help to create a race to the top in sustainable fish and chips and the finalists we’ve announced today are the front-runners.”  

The winner

The winner of the Good Catch Award will be announced on the 21st January at the Fish and Chip Shop of the Year awards ceremony in London hosted by celebrity chef Aldo Zilli.

Further information

For more information contact media@msc.org.

Key facts about MSC

[1] Seafish was founded in 1981 by an act of parliament and supports the seafood industry for a sustainable, profitable future. Seafish services range from research and development, economic consulting, market research and training and accreditation through to account management and legislative advice for the seafood industry. www.seafish.org

Good Catch, an initiative of the Marine Conservation Society, the Marine Stewardship Council, SeaWeb’s Seafood Choices, and Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming, is a collaborative project that helps the foodservice sector navigate seafood sustainability.  It directs foodservice professionals to a range of user-friendly materials and activities on sustainable seafood, including The Good Catch Manual: a rough guide to seafood sustainability. The Manual includes MCS seafood ratings, information on Marine Stewardship Council-certified fisheries, top tips to ask suppliers, all in an easy-to-use format. Together the Good Catch workshops, fieldtrips, publications and online tools create a collection of clear, consistent information and practical support. 

For more information, visit www.goodcatch.org.uk 

The MSC is working with Good Catch on sustainability issues and the potential for certification with the Fish and Chip shop sector as part of its ‘MSC on the Menu’ project. This work has been funded by Defra’s Greener Living Fund (GLF). For more information on the GLF, please visit: www.greenerlivingfund.org.uk