A varied range of fish and seafood specials will encourage customers to eat out during Seafood Week, as well as supporting the sustainability of fisheries, says Direct Seafoods.
Seafood Week 2019, running from 4-11 October, is putting a focus on the variety of species available to enjoy. To support this, Direct Seafoods has expanded the range of recipes and resources available free to chefs on its website.
“The specials board is a great way for chefs to highlight interesting fish and seafood recipes,” says Natalie Hudd, Director of Sales for Direct Seafoods. “Customers who may not have the confidence to cook fresh fish at home can be tempted to eat out, and using a broad range of species helps to ensure the entire catch is being used.
“Encouraging customers to enjoy a seafood dish they haven’t tried before doesn’t simply help to boost sates at a time when the eating-out market is feeling the pinch, it also helps to ensure that our fisheries have a long-term, sustainable future.”
Expanding on this year’s “not just for fry-days” Seafood Week theme, Direct Seafoods has added recipes online for starters and main dishes featuring a wide choice of fish and seafood. These include grilled whole plaice with brown shrimp and samphire butter; pan fried hake with a crab and prawn croquette and a saffron and mussel sauce; and mussels with rose harissa and chorizo with a white wine and lime broth.
Seafood Week 2019, promoted by industry body Seafish, is putting a focus on a different species each day. These include:
• Friday 4: Mackerel
• Saturday 5: Prawns
• Sunday 6: Plaice
• Monday 7: Scallops
• Tuesday 8: Mussels
• Wednesday 9: Hake
• Thursday 10: Crab
• Friday 11: Haddock, cod and pollock for fish & chips
Hudd adds: “For us, every week is Seafood Week, as we work with chefs all year around to promote choice and sustainability, but we’re delighted to be teaming up once again with our colleagues at Seafish to make Seafood Week a success for chef and operators, as well as a memorable eating out experience for customers.”
As well as recipes, chefs can find a range of resources online at www.directseafoods.co.uk including updates not only on which species are being caught sustainably, but which are ‘red rated’ and should be avoided. This includes downloadable posters that can be used as a simple reference guide when ordering.
Direct Seafoods is a national fish supplier, made up of 11 regional fishmongers, and part of the Bidfresh group. It sources from all major UK fishing ports, as well as globally, and supplies 12,000 chefs and businesses on a regular basis. Direct Seafood leads the way in seafood sustainability in the foodservice sector, offering more than 130 Marine Stewardship Council certified products.
