There’s something very special, and very British, about a good plate of fish and chips, be it freshly unwrapped from the local takeaway, or served up with garden peas and lemon with a pint in a pub.
Across the UK we eat about 382 million meals from fish & chip shops every year, including 167 million portions of fish and chips, according to the Federation of Fish Friers. We are blessed with some fine fish and chip shops here in Ongar - Anchor Fish and Chips and The Only Way is Fish – and not forgetting Smith’s fish stall if you want to cook your own fish at home, or enjoy one of their wonderful prepared platters featuring all kinds of wonderful seafood.
Despite clearly having a taste for properly prepared and presented fish, as a nation we eat very little of the fish and seafood we catch. It is estimated that between 60-80% of UK domestic landings are exported. Meanwhile, five species (cod, haddock, tuna, salmon and prawns) account for 60-80% of all fish consumption in the UK and these species represent a significant proportion of the UK’s fish imports.
Defra and Seafish, the public body that supports the UK seafood industry, are hoping to persuade more of us to eat more UK fish and shellfish, including langoustines, crab, lobster, scallops, oysters, clams, mussels, squid, cuttlefish, turbot, plaice, sole and monkfish.
Keep an eye out on the Love Seafood website (www.loveseafood.co.uk) and social media for some fabulous recipes aimed at helping us all reconnect with enjoying all types of seafood. If you’ve got a great fish recipe, do share your knowledge online using #LoveSeafood.
