Cornish college restaurant, Senara, named best in the UK

 

Cornwall, home to some of the best restaurants and eateries in the country, can now add another venue to its growing list of accolades after Senara Restaurant at Penwith College in Penzance was crowned Best College Restaurant in the UK at a glittering award ceremony in London this week. 

Senara, which has long been known locally as one of the best restaurants in the area, has now seen its appeal go national, after judges for the AA Hospitality Awards scored its students 100% for their final presentation, a top score not matched in any previous year.

Professional cookery students – Emily Earley and Shay Uren - from Penwith College travelled to London for the glittering award ceremony on Tuesday, hosted at the Grosvenor Hotel by television sport personality Gabby Logan. The event is a highlight in the industry calendar with over 1,000 guests from hotels and restaurants coming together to celebrate the best in the UK.

The students, selected because of their dedication and professionalism to the trade throughout the competition, were joined by catering lecturers Dave Izzard and Dean Bungay who couldn’t believe they came out on top against a shortlist of two other leading college restaurants from Milton Keynes and Cardiff. The award was sponsored by People 1st International.

“We know how good Senara is and reviews from our customers back this up, however being awarded “the best in the UK” by such a prestigious awarding body is fantastic,” said a shocked Dave Izzard. “The awards evening event was amazing, such an eye opener for the students who have never attended anything like this before. We are honoured to be celebrating alongside the best in the industry at such a prestigious venue.” 

Jo Lello-Dunn, the Programme Team Leader for professional cookery at Truro & Penwith College, added: “We are extremely proud and delighted at the accolade as it is valued recognition of the hard work, dedication, and commitment that the team have with their learners, and which enables them to progress to such an exemplary level to achieve such amazing awards like this and showcase their exceptional industry talents.”

As well as a trophy and the recognition that comes from winning such a coveted prize, the students have been awarded an invaluable, all expenses paid, week of work experience with some of the country’s top chefs in top Michelin-starred restaurants in London including a day at the Park Plaza London, at Murano, courtesy of Angela Hartnett and a day with Tom Booton, Executive Chef at the Grill, Dorchester.

On winning the award, student Shay said: “I can hardly believe that we have been awarded the best college restaurant in the whole of the UK. When they announced our names, we were stunned. Our little restaurant in the far west of Cornwall, has beaten much larger college restaurants. “I finished my Level three course last summer and loved every moment of it. For myself and Emily, this is the icing on the cake celebrating three amazing years at Penwith College.”

Lucy Maggs, College Director, added: “Winning this award is testament to the outstanding teaching staff we have here at Penwith College, not only in Hospitality but across the whole range of courses offered at Penwith college in Penzance. We work to support all of our students to ensure they gain the skills and experiences that will ultimately allow them to gain the job that they desire. The hospitality industry is worth 20% of Cornwall’s economic output and is definitely a place to begin a very bright future.” 

If you’d like to discover why Senara Restaurant has been crowned best in the UK, reservations can be made for Wednesday, Thursday or Friday throughout the college year. Email senara@truro-pebnwith.ac.uk

Visit the College website at truro-penwith.ac.uk to learn more about the professional cookery and hospitality courses available at Senara at Penwith College or visit us on an open event to find out more.

Big tides and a slack market.

Looks like Lionel is making fish soup ce soir...

just a handful of inshore caught fish graced the market floor this morning...

otherwise the chillrooms were empty...

both quays are shortly to be admission by number plate recognition only to meet new H&S requirements...

Winter of Ladram  riding high at the end of the Mary Williams pier...

as the Enterprise has her blackwater tanks emptied...

Amanda of Ladram also riding high...

next boat down the quay is the Ocean Pride which features in episode 1 of the BBC' new fishing series, Trawlermen: Hunting the Catch which will hit your screens on Tuesday 4th of October on BBC1...

early morning high water on a big spring tide finds most of the fleet in port.

Harvest Reaper For Sale.

 "Undoubtedly the finest under 10m trawler produced by a UK yard"

Harvest Reaper was built in 1988 for top Newlyn inshore skipper Bob Yeo to incorporate his ideas on how to get the most out of an under 10m boat. She was built by Abels in Bristol who had a reputation both for solid construction and innovative design. Their partnership created a roomy multi-purpose vessel capable of both stern and beam trawling.

Her massive beam and draught created a stable boat that allowed for a forward engine room and large 160 box fishroom resulting in a quiet 4-berth accommodation aft.

Main particulars:

• length oa                11.88m/39ft
• length reg               9.96m/32.5ft
• breadth mid            4.88m/16ft
• depth mid               2.8m/9.2ft
• draft aft                  2.4m/8ft
• gross tonnage         21.77

Engineroom:

Access to the engineroom is via a hatch sheltered beneath the roomy whaleback. The main engine is a Cummins QSM11 (11000 hrs) which provides 300hp/22kw at 1800rpm driving through a Twin Disc MG5143.8-1 reduction gearbox to a Teinbridge 47ins four-bladed prop housed in a Kort nozzle. New fuel pump and injectors.

Electric throughout the vessel are 24v DC with two sets of batteries charged from an engine driven alternator. Two main fuel tanks have a capacity of 1000 gallons/4,500 litres housed in the engineroom along with a 100 gallon hydraulic tank.

Sodena and Maxsea plotters repeater screen under the forward whaleback

North Sea winch and fishroom hatch.

Deck Machinery:

The four-barrelled main winch is rated at 3.6 tons with 300mm whipping drums, new bearings four years ago. Aft gantry mounted Spencer Carter net drum. Controls for the winch are both local and wheelhouse. Duplicate radar and plotter screens mounted by the winch under the whaleback.

Accommodation:

The accommodation comprises four berths, gas cooker and Refleks oil heater.

In the wheelhouse is a Furuno FV1150 colour sounder, Icon M55 VHF, Koden MD3000 radar, 2 x GPS, 2 x VHF, AIS, Radar along with Sodena and Maxsea plotters with additional repeater screens under the forward whaleback.

Dyneema warps but can be swapped for wire if required. The boat has a full stability book.

Harvest Reaper featured in the BBC's This Fishing Life, series 2. 

The vessel is available immediately for £180,000 ono - currently berthed in Newlyn 

Cornish sardine fishery celebrates a win for sustainability!

On a shelf near you, Tesco's finest Cornish Sardines.

A small-scale, sustainable sardine fishery in Cornwall has won the backing of the UK’s largest retailer, Tesco, with the launch of a sardine product marking the first time the Cornish sardine is being canned in the UK for sale within the domestic market.  

The launch of the new Tesco Cornish sardine product follows a remarkable turnaround for the fishery after pilchards were rebranded as Cornish sardines in the 1990s later becoming certified as sustainable to the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) Fisheries Standard in 2010.  The news comes during MSC UK’s Sustainable Seafood Week (September 16 to 23), a nationwide celebration of sustainable fish and seafood, that asks consumers to only choose seafood with the blue MSC ecolabel for this week and beyond.

The Cornish sardine fishery is made up of 15 vessels under 15m in length, usually consisting of a skipper and two crew. The vessels, which use ring nets, leave from Newlyn, Mevagissey, Falmouth and Plymouth from the start of the season in July through to February.

Tom Pascoe, relief skipper of the Serene Dawn, who is one of the fishermen who supplies to Tesco, said: “This fishery has been a huge success and we want to ensure it goes on as much as possible. It’s fantastic to have this new Tesco product in store and the backing of a major retailer.”

While MSC labelled sardines have previously been available in UK supermarkets, they have mostly been sold fresh on fish counters, or in frozen or chilled packs. Most sardines consumed in the UK are sold in a can and the vast majority of canned sardines sold in UK supermarkets come from Morocco from a fishery that has not yet gained MSC certification. 

In order to start canning this new product in the UK, Tesco has worked closely with International Fish Canners, which has been involved in the fish processing business for over four generations and remains the only fish canning plant in the UK.  

Carmen Stone, Buying Manager for Packaged Food at Tesco said: “Together with our supply partners, Interfish and International Fish Canners, as well as support from MSC, we’ve been working behind the scenes to help our Cornish fishermen and create a wholly British supply chain for Cornish sardines. They really are a versatile, cost-effective lunchtime option, and thanks to their MSC certification, customers can be reassured they’re playing their part in helping to promote healthy and sustainable marine environments.” 

Modern sardine ringnetter Mayflower lays ahead of the lugger Happy Return built in 1905

Sardines, or pilchards as they were previously known, have been fished in Cornwall for 500 years and at the beginning of the twentieth century there were dozens of plants salting pilchards in Cornwall supplying the booming Italian, Spanish and French market. But by the 1980s, with alternatives of fresh and frozen fish, little pilchard fishing took place due to limited market opportunities. 

See how skipper Dan nets 21 tons of sardines with his Cornish ringnetter, Golden Harvest.

In the 1990s, ring nets replaced drift nets and pilchards were rebranded as sardines which led to a rise in demand. In 2007, under the EU’s protected names scheme, the name ‘Cornish sardine’ was granted the Product of Geographical Indication (PGI) status, meaning that sardines can only carry that name if the fish are caught within six miles of the Cornish coast, landed and processed within the county of Cornwall or the port of Plymouth. 

George Clark, MSC UK & Ireland Programme Director said: “Cornish sardine fishermen have been looking for this kind of support from UK retailers for a number of years and it is fantastic to see that Tesco have now put their catch on the canned aisle shelf at hundreds of stores.

“The Cornish sardine, or pilchard as it used to be known, has an incredible history, a story that goes back centuries, and at one point the preserving of sardines was the bedrock of the local economy for fishing communities in the South West. The canning or preservation of Cornish sardines is as relevant now as it was back then, with the introduction of this new product.”

The Cornish sardine is currently the only MSC certified source of the species (Sardina pilchardus) worldwide. To be certified as sustainable a fishery must fulfil three core principles: the fish stocks must be at a level that fishing can continue, the environmental impact must be minimised and the fishery must be well managed. 

The new canned product, Tesco’s Finest Cornish Sardines in a Rich Tomato, Olive & Caper Sauce, (£1) is available in 767 Tesco stores.

Fine #FishyFriday in Newlyn.

Cornish fishing history in one photo; in the foreground the 14m GRP sardine ringnetter Mayflower built in 2014, astern is the 11m lugger Happy Return built in 1905 - both designed to fish exclusively for sardines or pilchards as-was...

some of last night's sardine catch fund their way to the fish auction this morning...

where a very bust #FishyFriday auction saw all three chill rooms full of fish like this turbot from the beam trawler St Georges...

almost alien-like ray...

inshore boats or 'small-scale' boats dominated the market with top quality fish like these line-caught bass...

demonstrating again the huge variety of fish landed in Newlyn every week...

these two probably scoured the rocky seabed off Lands End for well over a century between them...

with a beam trawler landing Dover soles are sure to be on the menu...

while the Imogen weighed in with a good shot of lemons...

the St Georges fulfilled demand for monk tails...

and the Ocean Pride obliged...

with a huge shot of pollack...

and a handful of crawfish...

including this big fella...

their monthly 180 stone quota of spurdog were topped off too...

red mullet, always a favourite for fine dining chefs...

Thornback ray, low on looks, high on flavour

there seem to be fewer gulls around these days...

normally they would be looking to pluck a few of these immature mullet from the shallow harbour waters...

between trips, the 15m scalloper Southern Spirit...

yet another old anchor brought back to the surface...

if only they were 10x10 and not 12x12...

the Southern Spirit in profile...

Border patrol vessel Searcher on the south pier...

the heavily modified converted 1975 ex-trawler Constructor.

 

Channel demersal non quota species Fisheries Management Plan

 

The MMO and key stakeholders have set up a working group which will be at the heart of work to develop the Channel demersal non quota species Fisheries Management Plan (NQS FMP).

MMO will seek feedback and input from the group, on the species to prioritise for the first version of the FMP, its overall development and any potential management measures that could be proposed in the first version of the plan.

The group is made up of representatives from the fishing industry, local Inshore Fishermen’s Conservation Authorities (IFCA’s) and the wider supply chain.

All members are expected to seek opportunities to engage the wider commercial and recreational fishing industries and other key stakeholders to ensure a wide range of views are brought forward for consideration and discussion.

MMO is committed to making it simple for fishermen to keep up to date with the work of the group and will publish the minutes of each meeting which, to begin with, will be held online on a monthly basis.

The working group is one of a number of ways MMO is engaging with stakeholders on the future management of demersal non quota species in the Channel.

The Channel demersal NQS FMP will include ICES divisions 7d and 7e and will cover a wide range of demersal species.

Development of a plan specifically for demersal non-quota species in the Channel was highlighted by the fishing industry and other key marine stakeholders as a necessary move because of concern about potential over-exploitation of some stocks and a lack of data about non-quota stocks in general.

We encourage fishermen and interested marine stakeholders to send us their views at fmp@marinemanagement.org.uk

You can find out more about the Government’s wider Fisheries Management Plan Programme online

UK Seafood Innovation Fund Widens its Net with a New Call for Innovative Ideas

Applications are now open for a fourth round of funding from the UK Seafood Innovation Fund. Sitting under the government’s £100m UK Seafood Fund, this will continue to champion a sustainable future for our seafood sector by seeking ideas from innovators looking to introduce novel and practical solutions for the industry.

The latest round of the UK Seafood Innovation Fund (SIF) has launched today, providing £3 million of additional funding to support cutting-edge solutions that disrupt the status quo and help address challenges across the UK seafood sector.

Taking the total funding made available under the scheme to £19 million, the latest round will support even more pioneering research that tests new ideas and approaches to provide long-term, practical, and scalable benefits to the seafood industry.

Open to innovators across fisheries, aquaculture and the seafood supply chain, funding will be provided for up to 18 months and there is no cap on the amount an applicant can apply for, although a strong emphasis on value for money must be demonstrated in the proposal.

Part of the £100 million UK Seafood Fund, SIF launched in 2019 and has since supported almost 100 projects across the UK, spanning aquaculture, capture fisheries, and the seafood supply chain. Previous projects have pushed the boundaries of new technologies, and have investigated consumer habits, market gaps, animal welfare issues, and the circular economy. For instance, InsPro Ltd have trialled the process of feeding farmed fish with insects raised on local food waste, while Hook Marine Ltd aims to improve fisher safety by field-testing a system that alerts fishing crew when their vessel is at risk of capsizing.

Another of SIF’s high-profile projects, led by Fishtek Marine and best known as “Scallop Discos”, recently worked to refine a novel and low-impact method to catch scallops using illuminated pots. Dr. Rob Enever, Head of Science and Uptake at Fishtek, said: “Without doubt, the Seafood Innovation Fund was responsible for a new scientific discovery. The fund continues to facilitate the research investigating the potential for a new, low impact fishery for scallops.”

In Round 4, SIF is looking to further diversify the range of work funded. The Fund welcomes applicants and collaborations from across the UK that draw together knowledge from the seafood sector and beyond, and apply novel solutions to sustainability challenges. SIF is keen to see ideas aimed at benefiting capture fisheries or the supply chain, as well as aquaculture and other parts of the sector.

Environment Secretary Ranil Jayawardena said:

“Britain has a brilliant fishing and aquaculture industry, and we are backing their cutting-edge ideas in order to help the British economy to grow.

“Through the £100m ‘UK Seafood Fund’ we are funding ambitious projects using the latest science and technology to unlock potential across the seafood sector and supply chain.”

Defra Minister Mark Spencer said:

“The additional £3 million we are making available through the Seafood Innovation Fund today is about giving the seafood industry a boost and laying the groundwork for its success in the future.

“I encourage fishermen, businesses and experts from across the sector to come forward and apply to help secure our seafood industry for generations to come.”

Heather Jones, CEO of the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC), sits on the Seafood Innovation Fund steering group, and provides input and guidance on aquaculture innovation. Speaking on the launch of Call 4, Heather said:

“Building on the success of previous rounds, SIF is again inviting innovative applied solutions to boost the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability of the UK’s seafood sector. Applications that address the commercial needs faced by those seeking to farm the seas responsibly, those operating in sustainable wild-caught fisheries, and those who can see ways to improve seafood product quality and shelf-life are warmly welcomed from all quarters of the UK.”

Call 4 opens on 21st September 2022, and the Fund will accept applications until midday on 7th December 2022. For more information on how to apply, visit the SIF website: https://www.seafoodinnovation.fund/apply/.

Project teams are also being offered the opportunity to submit their innovative idea for feedback (in advance of a full application) via an Expression of Interest (EOI) form, up until 31st October 2022. The form can be found at: https://www.seafoodinnovation.fund/apply-now/">https://www.seafoodinnovation.fund/apply-now/

For more information on previously funded projects, and those that have received follow-on funding, visit the fund’s website: https://www.seafoodinnovation.fund/projects/.