This post is the third in a series of posts.  Kath and Tom are in the way to Brussels with more posts to come.

From Billingsgate to Harrods

Wright Brothers Fishmongers @ Billingsgate Market: The Wright Brothers Fishmongers handle a lot of local harvested product with their main stay being oysters and mussels. Product such as locally caught Brown Crab is almost exclusively exported to China, like Australian high-end seafood. The Wright Brothers operation has been in considerable expansion for the last 3 years and could be an indicator of an industry turn around. Challenges for them will be the EU exit and all the uncertainty that goes with it. As in Australia, many fishers of all product types are going direct to market and the Wright Brothers operation is constantly looking for new product lines to maintain market share. It was interesting to note that their expansion is being driven by export consumption with domestic market demand unchanged.

Harrod’s of London: From the wholesaler to the retailer and what a retailer Harrod’s of London is. From a magnificent seafood display counter show casing the local product to the magnificent architectural surroundings. The pricing of seafood in such an establishment was surprisingly modest with a beautiful whole Scottish Salmon selling for only $32 per kg. On the higher end, U4 Indian Ocean Gambas prawns were attracting a price of $170 per kilo. There was no seafood which came close to Japanese Wagyu Kobe Sirloin which was selling for $2,000 per kg.  Looking at the price differential between seafood and beef there is room for a superior seafood product attracting a higher price.

As in Australia, Britain is striving to drive domestic consumption and provide higher returns for its fishers to keep them viable and retain a seafood industry. Average age for a British commercial fisher is now over 60 years…

Authors: Tom and Kath Long, TomKat Line Fish

Image Credit: Seafood display – Harrods’s of London, Tom and Kath Long

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