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Seafood from Scotland: a collaborative project aimed at maximising opportunities for Scottish seafood. 🐟🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #LoveScottishSeafood

Episode two of Stories from the Sea is now live. T

Episode two of Stories from the Sea is now live. This month we travel to St Monans to talk to Lewis Lowrie about coley, while Chef @jakodonnell speaks to our @clare.macdougall about Scotland's underutilised seafood species. Listen at the link in our bio!

I think our restaurant – Creelers – was one of

I think our restaurant – Creelers – was one of the first in Edinburgh to put a whole fish on the plate and say, “there you are,” bones and all. In the early 90s people in Britain weren’t eating much fish, now everyone does. I’m proud to be a part of that.

I moved up to Skipness from London in 1982. Around then a friend and I bought an old fishing boat and sailed it up to Oban from England to fish.

You used to get tourists coming up asking if you had a small bag of whatever you were fishing. So, my wife and I decided to turn that into a business. We bought a little roadside trailer, put it next to Skipness Castle, and called it the Skipness Seafood Cabin. That was in 1988.

Two years later we moved across to Arran and opened our first restaurant, Creelers. I fished and my wife ran the restaurant. My younger brother was lost at sea a few years later and his wife gave me his smoker. So that’s how I got into smoking fish. We were catching it, smoking it, and serving it in our restaurant.

At the same time, we hosted one of the first pop-up restaurants at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We loved it, and ended up opening a Creelers in Edinburgh in 1994.

My wife and I had always intended to return to Skipness, to help it be a sustainable village and create jobs for young people. My grandparents lived here and I grew up visiting. You couldn’t find a nicer part of the world – glorious views, huge open spaces. I love it here. Tim James - @skipnesssmokehouse 1/2 #fishstoriesofscotland

It's almost time for another episode of Stories fr

It's almost time for another episode of Stories from the Sea and this month we're turning our attention to lesser known species. With over 65 different fish & shellfish native to Scotland, it's time to find out more about Coley (or Saithe). Subscribe to the #podcast at the link in our bio 👆🏻🐟🦞

I was embedded in the fishing industry from the st

I was embedded in the fishing industry from the start. I grew up a mile from Pittenweem, one of the biggest fishing ports, where my father had a number of trawlers. I was out on the boats, or fishing from the piers, or gutting fish to use as bait from a young age. Holidays always included visits to a fishing port.

When we were about 12-14 my dad took me and my brother out to sea for 10 days at a time; I knew it was time to make a decision about whether I wanted this to be my business, too. My decision was no. I didn’t have the sea legs, it was too much hard work and too much time away from land.

Instead, I started learning more from my mum – she was a cook and taught us how to work with the different fish. Cooking seafood became my passion, and it led me to where I am now.

At Crabshakk we make a point of serving all kinds of seafood, from your high-end lobster and scallop to monkfish cheeks and haddock so that everyone can try seafood and get to enjoy it.

We could have imported from the continent or sourced farmed seafood, but we didn’t want to do that. Working with Scottish seafood is such a joy, there’s no doubt in my eyes that we have the best seafood in the world.

And using wild fish? That’s what my father caught and I want to keep working with the product that he would have brought in. - David Scott, Head Chef @crabshakkltd #fishstoriesofscotland

A treat for your tastebuds! Each month on Stories

A treat for your tastebuds! Each month on Stories from the Sea #podcast, we swing by Lochbay Restaurant in #Skye for a #seafood recipe from @kiltkuisine. In episode one, it's fresh haddock with steamed greens and a classic sauce. Listen at the link in bio 👆🏻👂

For a while, because of Brexit, Murray McBay & Co

For a while, because of Brexit, Murray McBay & Co was at a standstill. There were no markets, we couldn’t buy from fishermen because nothing could go to the continent. Despite the lobster shop having such a positive start, it’s never going to balance out the impact of Brexit and those lost months on our wholesale business.

We’re doing what we can, it’s really important to us to keep the wholesale business running: it’s a third-generation family business, started by my grandad about 75 years ago. Now it’s run by my dad (Ivar), mum (Jackie), my two brothers Ivar & Jason), myself, Aunt Karen & we employ a great worker, John who has been with us for many years. Were currently looking for another member of the team too!

We all have our roles in the company, but because we’re family we’re always happy to jump in and help out wherever we’re needed – even if it's an office-based role you can still end up helping in the tanks! I’d love my daughter Grace to get involved when she’s older, but only if she likes it.

It’s hard work, being in the fishing industry, but so rewarding.

People talk a lot about the impact of Brexit and Covid, but it isn’t just the challenges of the past year that make us a bit worried for the future. We’ve really struggled with knowing if young people are seeing fishing and the fishing industry as a career. It’s not something you go to uni for, but we really hope that the industry gets some encouragement for youngsters to see it could be a great working opportunity for them to get into.

Our business – and the wider industry – really exist because of passion. - Loren McBay, @johnshavenlobstershop / Murray McBay & Co. 2/2 #fishstoriesofscotland

We learned from people visiting our wholesale supp

We learned from people visiting our wholesale supply that not everyone’s comfortable cooking live lobster themselves, which is why we opened the lobster shop. first run of cooking was Hogmanay 2019 – not the best time to launch a new business, just before Brexit and the pandemic! None of us have a cookery background, but we were keen to go for it.

Just like our wholesale company, the lobster shop is a family business. It’s funny sometimes with my dad, because he just makes his decisions based on whether he likes something or not. So, we decide things together, by vote. We even had a vote on what to name our lobster salad. It was my gran’s recipe, and we were torn between ‘Gran’s lobster salad’ and ‘Ruth’s lobster salad.’

Ruth’s lobster salad has done amazingly well this summer, which is a relief – it’s a family recipe, and we didn’t want people to hate it!

I hope the lobster shop shows people that seafood doesn’t have to be extortionate. We see a lot of people trying lobster for the first time because it’s just £7.50, rather than risk going to a fancy restaurant and paying higher prices only to discover you don’t like it. And a lot of people in the village have standing orders for lobster salad or rolls, it’s almost part of their weekly shop.

We buy all our lobster from local fishermen and it’s a great reminder that what’s on your doorstep is accessible and the freshest source of delicious food. Loren McBay - @johnshavenlobstershop 1/2 #fishstoriesofscotland

In the first episode of Stories from the Sea, we s

In the first episode of Stories from the Sea, we spoke to #Fraserburgh Harbour Commissioner George West about the life of a Scottish fisherman and how the local community is built around the #seafood trade. Listen at the link in our bio - or wherever you get your #podcasts!

#FishstoriesofScotland has been sharing the storie

#FishstoriesofScotland has been sharing the stories behind some of Scotland's #seafood businesses, but we want to hear more. Whether you're in North Berwick or North Uist, and wherever you are in the sea-to-plate journey, we're looking to tell your stories. DM us to get involved!

Ever wondered what Scotland's bustling harbours so

Ever wondered what Scotland's bustling harbours sound like or what it takes to fish in Scotland's waters 🎣? Our new monthly #podcast, Stories from the Sea, celebrates the people and communities behind the Scottish seafood industry and shares the secrets of the trade.

Join us today for episode one, Sea the People at the link in our bio, or wherever you get your podcasts! 👂

Scottish seafood is the best in the world. It’s

Scottish seafood is the best in the world. It’s sustainable, undeniably fresh and fully traceable. I love brown crab and langoustine, but it’s all delicious.

We work with pretty much any type of seafood that’s landed in Scotland, and I love the traceability. I think we’re a world leader in that aspect, knowing exactly where it’s come from, it’s all regulated and not every country can say that.

On some level I probably always knew I’d work with seafood. My dad set up Scrabster Seafoods in the late 60s and, when you grow up with a family business, it’s always around. You inadvertently become involved.

Thankfully, I find it all very interesting. It’s nonstop, you’re up early sourcing fish, then working late packing and dealing with shipping. I enjoy the communication aspect, talking with people around the world. In one day, I’ll speak to people from several different countries – you build relationships and gain an insight into what’s going on in other countries and how they’re coping, which is really important at the moment.

Covid and Brexit made a perfect storm of challenges this year. We have been able to continue our export work, but there is a lot of red tape and other new difficulties, it’s become a lot more costly and time consuming.

My big focus is ensuring the company continues to enjoy the business it has in the past. I don’t know what the future holds, I wish I did, but we are in unprecedented times.

I have two young children, there’s still a long way to go before they have to decide what they want to do with their lives. But at the moment it’s really challenging. Hopefully in the not-too-distant future things will improve. We really need the public to switch onto this fantastic renewable abundance of seafood on their doorstep and start eating more of it, but right now dealing with so many constant challenges isn’t really what you want for your kids.

I suppose we’re fortunate that everyone needs to eat so there will always be a demand for seafood, I just wish more people in the UK realised what they're missing out on and tried to be a bit more adventurous in trying new types of seafood. - William Calder, Director Scrabster Seafoods

For many on the Isle of Harris, fishing is a way o

For many on the Isle of Harris, fishing is a way of life. I know this was definitely the case for many of us here in the islands as we watched our fathers fishing the shores around the island for as long as we can remember. From the moment we could walk we were putting on our wellies and were off out on the boats – it’s just in our blood.

Growing up on the island was really different compared to a city– we didn’t have huge supermarkets or things like that. Instead, we ate locally, usually knowing exactly where our seafood had been caught and who by – probably from a boat connected to our family or friends. It’s these memories of island life and that connection to food from our own shores that inspired myself and my two cousins, Stewart and Iain, to start our Hebridean shellfish business, Seas the Catch.

We land and buy local produce, from local people, for Scottish markets. Buyers can even trace their shellfish right back to the boat it was caught on! In many continental markets, the sheer scale of the market as well as the logistical challenges means that, for much of the seafood reaching their shores, it's difficult to find that level of traceability.

For me, Stewart, and Iain, watching our dads fishing inspired a love for the job in us all, but even more so we learned a great respect for environment and our community. For so many skippers and fishermen, fishing is our lifeblood – and has been for generations. Preserving it for the ones to come is key for us! Sustainable fishing is the most important thing at Seas the Catch, and that’s why we only sell creel caught shellfish.

This year has been tough for the fishing industry on a whole, but I think the resilience of island communities has really shone through. We’re especially proud that we have been able to adapt our service offering, and have had the opportunity to work with some major Scottish chefs on some really exciting projects. This summer will be our third in business, and we can’t wait to share more delicious Scottish shellfish!

Nail MacLean, Founder @seasthecatch #fishstoriesofscotland

Delicious #ScottishSeafood is fished from 12,000 k

Delicious #ScottishSeafood is fished from 12,000 km of coastline, all from our cold, clear waters. 🌊 #seatoplate

We've been on a bit of a road trip this week helpi

We've been on a bit of a road trip this week helping the CIS Awards surprise 2020's winners. We sponsored three awards this year and send our congratulations to the winners of Young Chef of the Year, @frazzlecam, Banqueting & Events Chef of the Year, @chef.caterer.edinburgh and the Food Tourism Award, @stranraeroysterfestival. #cisawards

We’ve tried a lot of salmon over the years. Salm

We’ve tried a lot of salmon over the years. Salmon from Norway, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, and we keep coming back to Scottish. Now we aim to use Scottish salmon exclusively.

There are so many flavours that work with it. Gin’s a regular one, so is vodka. And whisky cured salmon is pretty common in Scandinavia. I didn’t invent the idea of smoked salmon cured with alcohol, but when I was working as a European export sales manager in pharmaceuticals and medical devices, I was in Scandinavia a lot and kept coming across it.

I’d been made redundant at the end of 2014 and was just messing around in the kitchen making my own gravlax. It was really a hobby, something to do for a bit of fun and beer money. It all spiralled and I’m still not sure how!

I started selling to farmers markets in early 2015 then suddenly we started supplying to Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason and it all became a bit more real. It’s pretty unusual to get into those stores, so it made me realise we had a good quality product, and something I should be focusing my time on.

Most of our business was in retail, so when Covid hit we lost about 97% of our business overnight. Coming back from that is never going to be an easy one, but now our online business has massively overtaken retail. As of now I don’t see us going back to retail – we do still supply any retail customers we had before the pandemic if they’re open, but we’re not actively seeking to grow that side of the business.

When I lost my job in 2014 it all seemed like the end of the world, but I look back now and think, “thank God that happened!” It led me to this new business, and I feel really lucky. It’s sort of the same with having to move online – it wasn’t planned, but it all seems to be going okay for now.

Despite a few rough moments, we’re all okay.

- James Eagle, Founder @thepishedfish #fishstoriesofscotland

I left school to be an apprentice carpenter – a

I left school to be an apprentice carpenter – a joiner – but it didn’t work out and I needed a summer job so I fell into fish farming. It wasn’t something I had planned, the seafood industry doesn’t run in my family at all even though I grew up on the island, but I liked it. I moved between a few different farms and then out of the blue I got a call from Ben, the managing director of Inverlussa, asking if I wanted to come on.
All of my work is outside, which is great in the summers. But the main thing I like is that it’s not the same thing every day. It’s actually very rare that you do the same thing two days running. It’s all very hands on, which I prefer. I do anything to do with day-to-day order of the farm including weekly harvest arrangements and maintaining the mussel lines.
We mainly sell our mussels to the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group, who pack it up and sell on to UK supermarkets – so if you’ve bought Scottish mussels from a supermarket here, you may have tried ours.
But we do a fair bit of work with restaurants around Mull too, and we have an honesty box and a cool box that we keep stocked so people can come buy mussels on their own time. We get quite a few locals, and tourists and the yacht community love it. It’s just another way of interacting with people who use the same water as us.
I hadn’t thought about it before I started working in the industry, but mussel farming is very sustainable and very eco-friendly. There are natural wild populations of mussels in Scotland, any structure in the water will eventually end up with mussels on it. We’re just providing a habitat for the mussels to live on and let nature take its course.
- Cameron MacLean, Mussel Farm Manager, @inverlussamarineservices #fishstoriesofscotland

It's time to announce our #PrideOfPlate winner! 🏆 A massive thanks and well done to all the brilliant food professionals who entered our competition, but there could only be one victor. After dozens of entries -- and hundreds of votes from the public -- here's our winning dish: . 1st Place: @the.glasshouse.restaurant 🏆🥇wins their seafood bill covered for a whole month, and a bespoke skills session delivered in their kitchen by acclaimed seafood chef CJ Jackson!

Runners up, we haven't forgotten about you! All nine of our other shortlisted entries will also be invited a FREE fishy masterclass delivered by CJ later in the year.

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to enter and vote -- and another huge congratulations to The Glasshouse Restaurant!

My wife Hazel and I both grew up near Peterhead in

My wife Hazel and I both grew up near Peterhead in fishing families – our dads were fishermen, so were our granddads. I was a fisherman myself for about 15 years, fishing out of various ports. I left the industry because things just weren’t that great. There was overfishing, a lot of boats, and I wanted to try something new.

But about 3.5 years ago Hazel and I had the opportunity to take over a small fishmongers which we rebranded The Fresh Fish Place. It had been founded in 1952 by another family, but the owner was looking to retire. We knew about fishing, but not about fish shops, so that first year we were simply hoping and praying that people would buy from us. I think we did alright as we more or less doubled the business in the first year.

The second year we added 5 new shops, and managed to open our 7th shop earlier this year. My whole family is involved: my wife and I are the owners, my son does the social media, my daughter does the accounts, and my cousin is our main supplier.

We have great customers and really appreciate each and every one of them. New customers are surprised by the freshness of our fish versus what they get at the supermarket. They expect it to be the same quality but it’s a different product altogether, it's chalk and cheese as we're getting fresh fish from Peterhead 5 days a week.

There have been a lot of changes recently in the fishing industry, but we have great hopes for our business. We’re focused on building the chain up, on expanding and growing the number of shops. People love the freshness of our product, so let’s give it to them. In the next couple of years, we’ll see how we get on and take it from there.

– John Stephen, Owner The Fresh Fish Place #fishstoriesofscotland

#PrideOfPlate: Dozens of Scottish food professiona

#PrideOfPlate: Dozens of Scottish food professionals submitted their seafood dishes, we've whittled them down to ten and now it's time for you to vote for your favourite.

Swipe to view all 10 images, then LEAVE A COMMENT clearly stating which numbered photo is your favourite. Voting closes Monday at 4pm GMT, and the winner will have their #ScottishSeafood bill covered for a month AND receive a tailored skills masterclass with @cjkentseafood!

PHOTO 1: @chef_morrice
PHOTO 2: @lcartisan
PHOTO 3: @thatsyerdinner
PHOTO 4: @theoldmillinnbrodie
PHOTO 5: @the.glasshouse.restaurant
PHOTO 6: @chefrorylovie
PHOTO 7: @frazzlecam
PHOTO 8: @chef_hetherington
PHOTO 9: @isleofmullhotel
PHOTO 10: @steph_in_the_kitchen

24 HOURS TO GO! LAST CHANCE TO ENTER 🚨 If you

24 HOURS TO GO! LAST CHANCE TO ENTER 🚨

If you are a food professional working in Scotland, simply upload a photo of a seafood dish you've prepared, tag us @seafoodfromscotland and #PrideOfPlate, and you'll be entered for a chance to win. We'll cover your #ScottishSeafood bill for a month, and we'll also throw in a tailored skills session with @cjkentseafood 😉

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