The humble haddock - from sea to plate

Sea to Plate from Beard Askew Productions on Vimeo.

The journey of a North Sea Haddock from the sea to our plate needn’t be a complicated one! In fact it shouldn't take more than 24 hours. The Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA) wanted to explain how an MSC certified Scottish Haddock is caught, handled, landed, sold at market, processed, delivered and sold to eat all with in 24 hours. Calum Richardson, owner of The Bay, Stonehaven, believes that shops need to act responsibly and provide customers with not only as much fresh produce as possible, but also educate customers to the provenance of the food we eat.

This is exactly what the people that feature in the series believe. Peter Bruce has been going to sea for more than 30 years. He is the skipper of the Budding Rose, a pair trawler in the North Sea. We spoke to Peter immediately after he landed 400 boxes of MSC sustainable haddock and he explained his part of the process. 

Danny Couper Jr is a second-generation fish merchant. His father Danny Snr started Couper Seafoods and his son Jaime is now working for the business. Danny explains the role of the buyer and processor in the journey of a North Sea haddock. Calum Richardson owns The Bay Fish and Chips, Stonehaven, which is currently the Independent Fish and Chips Shop of the Year 2013! So he knows a thing or two about cooking haddock. He is also a big supporter of sustainable fishing. Calum tells us how important sourcing the best fish possible is, and how vital it is to support our local fishing communities.