All ten 2012 regional Award finalists visit Norway to in see for themselves the sustainability of the supply chain for cod and haddock from the North Atlantic and Barents Sea, and understand how it is the quick filleting then freezing-at-sea process which gives them the high quality product their customers expect.
Ladies first, so we’ll ask the Midlands regional winner, Marina Angelides from The Big Fish in Stratford on Avon to explain why she’s a FAS Fillet fan. Marina’s father also runs successful fish & chip shops, and she says “it’s the consistency in quality, including colour, firmness and flavour which I rely on. And it’s so convenient to store and use in all our shops.”
Alan Hanna has been frying for 21 years and now runs the Pit Stop Fast Food & Bistro in Kikeel, Northern Ireland. Alan needs FAS haddock and cod “for its consistent top-quality availability, with every pack coming from sustainable catches.”
David Hanbury is this year’s senior finalist, having owned Hanbury’s in Babbacombe, Devobn, for 30 years. David is the South West regional winner again – he’s held this honour six time before, first winning in 1988. David always has relied on FAS cod and says “it’s simply the freshest fish I can get!”
Chris Pithey fries for Paul Linford and represents Eastern England at Linfords Traditional Fish & Chips in Market Deeping, Peterborough. Chris says “Linfords rely on FAS fillets because of their consistent high quality, week in, week out”
Mathew Williams from the The Crispy Cod, Tonyrefail, Rhonnda Cynon Taff in Porth, Mid Glamorgan represents Wales and says: “I depend on frozen at sea fish for its consistent flavour and stable prices.”
Stuart Fusco from the Quayside in Whitby represents North east England and was a finalist two years ago. Stuart uses FAS cod because, he says “it is consistently excellent, fresh quality, sustainable and fully traceable back to its original fishing vessel”
Jonathan Ayling fries at Seafare Fish & Chips in Guildford. Seafare is owned by Philip Lye and is the winning shop for London and South East England. Jon says they “depend on the consistent quality of FAS fish; there isn’t anything better.”
Antonios Tsiampartas also grew up in the fish and chip trade and runs Wigmore Fish & Chips in Luton, this year proudly representing Central and South England. Although he’s the youngest finalist, Antinios is confident to say “FAS fish has consistently given my business proven quality over 25 years experience.”
Alastair Horabin also grew up in a family fish & chip business, and Alastair now runs three shops including Seniors at Marsh Mill, Thornton, Lancashire, this year’s winner in North West England. Alastair has great plans to grow this successful chain in future which he says will be built on FAS supplies because of “their consistent quality and my own absolute belief in their long term strategy for sustainability.”
So that just leaves our tenth and final finalist, Calum Richardson from The Bay Fish & Chips at Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire.
Calum says, “Living where I do, close to the biggest fishing ports in Scotland, of course I’m a champion for our locally caught fish. North Sea Haddock is MSC accredited as sustainable [the Marine Stewardship Council is widely recognised as the gold standard for independent certification of stock sustainability] and my shop is itself accredited as part of the MSC supply chain. FAS fish is a perfectly good product, but it’s simply not what I do.”