Meat, Fish & Plant

Fox River Chicken by Mt Barker, Australia

Mount Barker chickens roam free outdoors on farms in Australia’s Great South West pecking on Australian grains as well as an abundance of natural forage and pasture. Mt Barker has welfare at their heart and the chickens live long and happy lives in a sustainable farming environment, cared for by dedicated family farmers.

Australia’s Great South West is clean and green making it an ideal place to rear chickens outdoors. The quality of the air, water and soil are important to Mt Barker’s farming business as they work hard to support environmental management and biodiversity to ensure they can continue farming for many generations to come. 

This chicken is truly exceptional and comes with extra love and devotion. It’s certainly been a journey to get it here but I hope you will agree, when you try it, that the journey has been worth it. Do click on the video below which is of my recent farm visit. You can see for yourself what a wonderful farm this is.

www.mtbarkerchicken.com.au


Sutton Hoo Chicken Farm, Suffolk, England 

Sutton Hoo Chicken Farm

I love visiting Sutton Hoo Chicken farm. This is a farm like no other, where the chickens are cared for like children, right down to the pioneering portable shelters which enable the chickens to peck fresh ground rather than pecking over the same trodden areas.

In the heart of the Suffolk countryside next to the ancient Anglo-Saxon National Trust site at Sutton Hoo is another heritage treasure for you to enjoy. Sutton Hoo Free Range Chickens are chickens with a difference. Charles and Belinda were farmers with a mission which was to rear truly free range chicken in the Suffolk countryside they loved.

Their poultry enjoy an additive free diet without antibiotics or drugs of any kind. This chicken has gained a national reputation for its quality and unsurpassed welfare. The birds live in small groups and shelter from the elements in mobile houses that have no artificial lighting and are naturally ventilated. Their playground is the tussocky grassland at Sutton Hoo. From about two weeks of age the happy chicks venture outside to enjoy exploring under Suffolk’s vast open skies.

From then on all feeding takes place outside by hand with additional nutrients foraged from the surrounding vegetation. Lovingly reared on an additive free diet, Sutton Hoo Free Range Chickens are not just any chicken. They represent a farming family’s dream which is to produce an entirely natural chicken that is exceptionally tasty and nourishing.


Local Chicken

GG French Poulet Local Chicken
Our beautiful French ‘poulet chicken’ is supplied to us by the lovely Kenny whose family owns and runs the best chicken farm in the region just over the border to the north of Johor Bahru, Malaysia. I have had the pleasure of working with Kenny for many years and was amazed when I visited the farm for the first time, to see that the chickens were so relaxed and friendly. Within minutes they were all around me, pecking at my wellington boots and chirping away. It was lovely to see them so happy and relaxed, truly comfortable in their environment and a far cry from some of the shocking caged chickens we have all seen images of.

Every day, the farm flies in day-old chicks straight from Sabres, France, to be reared as breeders at the farm. The chicks are housed comfortably in sheds equipped with warmers to protect their immunity system. They are kept separate from the older chicks as they have different “housing” needs. Their litter is also regularly changed to prevent the build-up of ammonia, which damages their health and eyesight. For the first ten days of their development, the chicks are fed a special in-house formulation of pre-starter feed, consisting of a nutritious blend of milk, natural amino acids, corn and soy. After they have grown, the chickens are allowed to roam freely in spacious pens with plenty of natural light and elevated perches.

GG French Poulet Local Chicken

The staff enter the farm daily to clean the area and encourage movement within the flock. Chickens from 10 to 30 days old are fed with a specially formulated feed that is 100% natural. It is made up of natural corn feed (95% of the feed), crushed soya beans, selenium and probiotics (which build up their immunity naturally). No growth promoters are administered to the chickens.

In their final stage of growth, the chickens are reared on raised floor poultry farms, which minimises ammonia levels and prevents blisters and damaged feet. After 60 days+ of growth, the chickens are available for sale. They are sheltered in well-ventilated poultry farms with raised floors that have a stocking density of 10 chickens per square meter, a very comfortable difference from the RSPCA maximum of 19. Our birds are able to age naturally, giving their meat more flavour and succulence. The chickens we sell are grown to approximately 75 days in order to reach 1.3kg. It will be slightly longer for the larger chickens.

Our chickens have as much exposure to sunshine, daylight and fresh air as is possible. They are raised in open structures, so very breezy, with only wire mesh as walls to prevent the birds being attacked by prey. They have "play" areas where they can exercise to emulate a natural environment and constant water and feeding supply system. To prevent disease, there are disinfected walkways at the entry to each farm and at the entry to each enclosure. The farms are all at least 1km apart from each other, just in case one farm experiences disease and this will prevent spreading.

Chicken restrictions in Singapore

You will not find fresh chicken in Singapore that is "free range". The reason for this is that the AVA have strict rules governing the import of poultry into Singapore. Chicken can only arrive in Singapore in 2 ways – either alive or frozen. If alive (i.e. from Malaysia) the AVA will not allow the chickens to be free range because of their fear of bird flu. They will however allow "free roaming" which means that the chickens (like ours) have to be an "enclosed environment" which can be a very large environment, but it cannot be an open field.

Jamie Oliver endorses the local chickens we sell

Jamie Oliver has selected the same chickens that we sell for his restaurants here in Singapore. Jamie’s head chef has visited our local supplier’s farm and is satisfied that all of his standards have been met and indeed, often surpassed. Jamie, world-renowned for his passion about poultry farming, has exceptionally high standards when it comes to what chickens are fed and how they are raised.

As well as being concerned with their food, Jamie has strict welfare requirements – e.g. the chickens must have ample drinking tips, appropriate air ventilation and sufficient lighting. He will only serve the best quality chicken in his restaurants from chickens that have been reared in accordance with his strict policies and standards.

www.oeo.com.sg/gg-french-poulet


KellyBronze Turkeys, Essex, England

Sasha Conlan

I enjoyed a gorgeous afternoon with Paul Kelly and his wife, witnessing for myself the free-range environment of the birds - woodlands and open pastures, as nature intended. Not only did I get to see every aspect of the farm, the Kellys served up a freshly roasted KellyBronze turkey in their garden – it was so succulent and full of flavour, truly the best turkey I’ve has ever tasted.

From start to finish, the methods used to produce a KellyBronze turkey out-class standard benchmarks. It starts with the breed – having gone to great lengths in the 1980s to rescue the bronze breed from near extinction, this bird has to be well cared for from start to finish.

Farming the slow-growing turkeys with care and passion for three generations, the Kellys follow nature's clock with the hens laying their chicks in spring and the chicks then hatch naturally in the festive season. The Kellys are proud that they produce turkeys using the slowest method in the world, as opposed to the all-year-round intensive production.

Bred to be wild, the birds live as nature intended. They are fed on a natural diet and roam free in the woodlands and pastures – foraging for grubs, berries and nettle.

KellyBronze Turkeys

The Kellys' free-range stocking density is 500 per acre versus an average of 16,000 per acre in commercial turkey barns. Because of this, the turkeys live as nature intended, with lots of exercise. KellyBronze turkeys have a wonderful life as you will see in this lovely short video. 

The birds are grown to full maturity and are twice the age of a standard intensively farmed turkey. Maturity has the biggest single impact on flavour. Whilst this doubles the farming cost, it quadruples the flavour. By allowing them to grow to the equivalent of adult age, they develop a layer of natural fat, and mature carcass and bone – all essential ingredients for award-winning flavour. For every kilo of weight they gain, the birds have eaten 30% more feed than a modern commercial turkey.

The birds are hand-plucked on the farm when they are mature and ready to eat – not when they reach a particular weight. Because they are plucked by hand, no water is needed as in modern factories. It costs 10 times more in labour, but dry plucking enhances shelf life and allows dry ageing. A KellyBronze does not touch water, so you don’t pay for water uptake as with other turkeys. Little black feather quills can be seen in the skin - the KellyBronze designer stubble!

Because the birds are hand-plucked, the Kellys can take extra time to hang their turkeys, allowing them to age their birds in the traditional way, intensifying the flavours and tenderising the meat – both labour-intensive and time-consuming methods that give award-winning results.

KellyBronze slow-growing, free-range, mature turkeys are a joy to cook. They offer more flavour, have superior meat texture, juicier self-basted meat, and the promise of richly flavoured natural gravy stock. KellyBronze turkeys cook in half the time of a standard bird because of the exceptional marbling in the meat.

We are thrilled to be the only company in Singapore selling KellyBronze Free-Range Turkeys, direct from the Kelly farm in Essex, England. 

Awarded the best turkey in Britain eight years in a row, read more from Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and many other outstanding chefs who chose KellyBronze turkeys every year. 


Moreish Organic Beef, New Zealand

Moreish was founded in 2009 by the Fitzsimons family. Their passion is supplying the highest quality ethically farmed Organic New Zealand meats to the world.

Moreish works with a number of Organic Beef farms throughout the lush, green, lower North Island to supply their customers with what they believe is the highest quality organically farmed beef in New Zealand.

Striving to produce an even marbling, incredible tenderness and superb taste, Moreish Beef is farmed on organic pastures free from fertilisers, harsh chemicals and conventional farming methods. All Moreish Organic Beef cuts are guaranteed GMO, hormone and antibiotic free.

www.moreish.nz


Green Meadows Beef, New Zealand

The Carey family founded Green Meadows Beef in 2012 to take their grass-fed Angus beef products direct to the end consumer. Located on Surf Highway 45 across from the ‘Green Meadows’ surf break in Coastal Taranaki (on the West Coast of the North Island of New Zealand), the prime steers on the Carey farm graze in the fresh air on cool climate grass. The farm is located beneath Mount Taranaki and alongside the Tasman Sea.

Michael Carey is the third generation to farm the 170ha property. Previously a dairy farm, now the animals enjoy drinking potable water from a community water scheme and all waterways are fenced and planted with native trees.

www.greenmeadowsbeef.co.nz


Rhug Estate Organic Farm

Rhug Estate is an award-winning organic farm which sits in an idyllic part of North Wales and is one of the few farms in the world that runs true field-to-plate operations. All animals are born and reared without the use of any chemicals, sprays or GMOs. Rhug Welsh Lamb is regarded as among the best in the UK, having been awarded PGI status, which guarantees that you are buying a premium-quality, fully traceable product.

Led by a dedicated team who adhere to the highest animal welfare standards, Rhug Estate is Soil Association approved, which is in the top echelon of Organic Certifications. All animals graze freely on the farm with minimal disruption to their natural environment to keep their stress levels as low as possible. When animals have been farmed with such care, you can be confident that their meat will taste absolutely divine.


Flexbourne Pure, Origin South

Flaxbourne Pure

Origin South is passionate about raising high-quality lamb and believe that the best way to rear animals is to do so the  old fashioned way, allowing nature to take the time it needs to produce the best quality and tenderness. Flaxbourne Pure was created with a promise to always provide pasture-raised, GMO-free, hormone-free and antibiotic-free lamb.

Flaxbourne was the first sheep station in the South Island of New Zealand. The Homestead is one of the farms that make up what was once the 66,000 acre Flaxbourne Station. Six generations of Loe family have lived here, where they have learned to make the best of the environment, producing exquisite tasting lamb, from this Marlborough Terrior. High sunshine hours, the salt-licked coastal landscape and careful farming practices are all keys to naturally good stock health and their low carbon footprint.


Pork

All our pork products come from Wicks Manor, a small, family-run pig farm in Essex, England. At the farm, piglets are born into large straw pens which allows for the mother to leave the nest area. Once weaned from mum, piglets move to straw yards with outside access, giving them plenty of space to express their natural behaviour. Here they are provided with nutritional feed and clean water throughout the day. The piglets have the best of both worlds in that they are sheltered from nature's sometimes harsh elements, but have plenty of room to roam and play.

This natural lifestyle helps the pork develop a beautiful depth of flavour, whilst still being relatively lean. The pigs are fed a natural diet of non-GMO wheat and barley that is grown and milled at Wicks Manor. Vitamins and minerals are added to balance their diet. Non-GMO soya is added (to some rations, not all) to provide protein and energy.

The very best practice farming techniques are employed and the highest standards of nutrition and animal welfare are applied. The pork is fully traceable and all the animals live under the strict regulations of Farm Assured British Meat. The high quality and great taste of this pork has been nationally recognised in the UK with Wicks Manor winning many awards.

I have enjoyed several visits to Wicks Manor farm over the last few years and love the fact that each visit brings something new! 

From riding in the combine harvester and knowing that this is the very food that is fed to the pigs, to watching Alan the Pig Manager herd up his litter ... there is never a dull moment on this family farm that is a true example of complete traceability in the “farm to plate” journey. Apart from the abattoir, Wicks Manor controls every aspect of production, something they have worked tirelessly to achieve. I always try to stay the night in the farm guesthouse which is run by “mum”, who serves up the most incredible coffee and toast in the morning!

It is an absolute pleasure to work with Wicks Manor. They are genuinely good people who wake up every day striving to do the right thing in their little corner of Essex, England. I hope you enjoy this video, which highlights the welfare of the pigs and their beautiful surroundings.

Our pork is frozen at source by Wicks Manor in England, as soon as it has been processed. We are not permitted to import fresh pork from England (AVA requirements). Our pork comes via sea freight and has a long shelf life of 12 months, due to the vacuum seal packaging and the fact that it is frozen at source.

www.wicksmanor.com


Silver Hill Duck, Monaghan, Ireland



I had the great pleasure of spending a full day with the Steele family on a trip to Ireland earlier this year. I was blown away by the magnificent setting and the extraordinary care they take in raising these beautiful, unique ducks. Nestled in the small town of Emmyvale, County Monaghan in Ireland, Ronnie and Lyla Steele founded Silver Hill Foods as a fully integrated family owned duck company over 50 years ago, and their son Barry now runs the business. Starting out with six top-quality ducks, they developed their own breed, the unique Silver Hill Duck (commonly known as London Duck). This is a unique and highly distinctive hybrid duck, full of flavour, succulence and tenderness. It’s been described by many chefs and restaurateurs here in Singapore as “the wagyu of duck”, and having sampled it now many times, I feel this is a perfect description. 

What impressed me most, other than the actual flavour of the duck, is that all aspects of duck production are owned and controlled by Silver Hill Farm themselves, from breeding, egg production, hatching and selection, to processing, cooking and packaging. The ducks are hand-fed a natural diet each day, exercised and allowed to roam freely - they even get to listen to music to keep them happy and calm. The aroma of the duck cooking is unforgettable, especially the range we are selling as the duck is roasted in aniseed, ground ginger, fennel seed, cinnamon and clove. They have the highest regard for animal welfare and I was very impressed to see that a vet is on site at all times during processing to ensure animal welfare. Silver Hill’s sustainability credentials are impeccable, as you will see here. They use everything from the duck, nothing goes to waste, and they have a secondary business selling duck feather pillows and duvets.

Over the last number of years Silver Hill Farm has seen tremendous growth, supplying quality duck and duck products all over the world. I was so impressed with the investment they’ve made in constantly improving their processes and to support growth - they have recently built a new centre of excellence which includes offices, amenities and a wonderful new development kitchen. 

The famed chef Heston Blumenthal uses only the Silver Hill Duck at his restaurant. Silver Hill “London Duck” is hugely popular in Singapore where a number of well known restaurants serve the full roasted duck. Sasha’s Fine Foods is the only company to offer a retail range of Silver Hill Duck products to the market.

“The Wagyu of Duck” 

Co-Owner of London Fat Duck, Mr Mervin Goh describes Silver Hill Duck as “the wagyu of ducks" because, like well-marbled Japanese beef, the birds have a high fat content. His restaurant sells about 120 ducks daily and his head chef Poon Kwong Fat, 49, who has more than 30 years of experience roasting meats, agrees, "Roasted Irish ducks are more fragrant and juicy as these meatier birds have a good amount of fat that makes the meat more tender and flavourful.” 
http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/food/irish-ducks-all-the-rage-in-singapore-restaurants

TungLok Executive Chairman, Andrew Tjioe says, "A good friend gave me 20 ducks from the Silver Hill Farm. We tried them and were impressed with the quality of the ducks. The meat is very tender and succulent, and does not have the gamey taste which is otherwise quite common in duck meat. We have never looked back since.” 
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/lifestyle/food-drink/irish-farms-ducks-the-go-to-birds-for-many-restaurants-here


Chalk Stream Trout, Hampshire, England

Harvested by hand in Hampshire, Chalk Stream Trout are a quintessential British fish that is a sustainable, delicious and healthy option.

The secret to these beautiful trout are the world-famous Chalk Streams: the Test and Itchen. Spring water that has been filtered through the chalk downland into underground aquifers feed these rivers. The water is rated class A by the Environment Agency, the highest-achievable grade.

The fast-flowing ‘gin clear’ water provides the perfect environment to rear Chalk Stream Trout. Not only does this give them an exceptionally clean taste but the high flows mean they are very lean. Constant swimming replicates their natural habitat and gives them great muscle definition and low fat in the belly and flesh.

All the trout are reared from 100% British fry. In the two years it takes to reach the size of 2.5 to 3 kilos, the trout’s every need is tended to by farm manager, Pete, and his team. Their diligent attention to the welfare and husbandry ensures the highest quality and sustainability. Chalk Streams are unique environments; with just over 200 in the world, 98% of them are found in England. These rare environments must be respected. Water from the farm goes through settling canals that act like giant gravity filters ensuring when it flows back into the river it is still class-A rated. This is strictly monitored by the Environment Agency.

Trout from Chalk Stream Foods is MCS rated 1 and certified by Freedom Food, Global Gap and the British Trout Association. It has also been awarded ‘great taste producer’ status.

I visited Chalk Stream Trout Farm in July 2018 and hope you enjoy this video of this wonderful farm.

 www.chalkstreamfoods.co.uk


Mount Cook Alpine Salmon Farm, Mackenzie Country, New Zealand

Mount Cook Alpine Salmon Logo

Selecting Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon as my supplier was one of the easiest business decisions I have had to make. It took no more than a visit to confirm what I’d heard, that this was the finest salmon and the most environmentally-minded salmon farm on the planet. In fairness, Mr. Cook has the unbeatable advantage of being located in the most stunning, clean and natural location imaginable in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, a backdrop from nature against which other salmon producers could never compete!

But the Mt. Cook team marries a unique set of elements including innovation, respect the surrounding environment and a genuine respect for the salmon who are hand fed several times a day as they swim freely in pure, alpine water. This could be a huge business but the owners, a group of private individuals, choose to keep it small and do what they do as well as is humanly possible, without any adverse effect to nature. It was such a huge privilege to spend time with this passionate team, and I am honoured to be their only retail partner in Singapore.

Mt Cook Alpine Salmon are raised in the purest alpine waters of the Southern Alps of New Zealand. These Alpine Salmon are unique in the world, fit and healthy from constantly swimming in swift, fresh water currents. This exercise results in a firm-fleshed texture with a clean and subtle flavour. The water at Mt Cook is fast flowing glacier fed mineral water, and the location is the highest altitude salmon farm in the world. Only wilderness separates the farm from the mountains, with no agricultural or human run off or pollution. This is the perfect growing environment for King Salmon.

Mount Cook Alpine Salmon

To ensure Mt Cook Alpine Salmon is the finest of all salmon, a specially designed first class feed from the Southern Ocean is used, with non-GMO or antibiotics. Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon are eco-sustainably farmed and raised in near perfect growing conditions high in the Alps of the South Island of New Zealand, with plenty of space, clean flowing water, and as little human intervention as possible.

The government issued a complete ban on the import of salmonoids and gametes into New Zealand since the early 1900's protects against introduction of diseases that have afflicted other salmon populations around the world. The fish are consequently not treated with any vaccines or antibiotics at any stage of their life cycle and they are naturally free from parasites. They are free of contaminants and are non-GMO and having lived only in pure glacial water all their lives, are free of chemicals, mercury and other heavy metals.

Mount Cook Alpine Salmon Farm

The Farm & Environment

At 1,969 feet above sea level, Mt Cook Alpine is the highest altitude salmon farm in the world. The farm is situated in man-made hydroelectric canals that run between several high alpine lakes in one of the most remote regions in the world. Where possible, solar power is used. It is a secondary user of water. - the primary use of water in the canals is to generate clean hydroelectric power.

The Water

The glacial and snow-fed water both above and below the farm is so pure that you can drink it. This farm has the highest water-flow of any salmon farm in the world. Mt Cook Alpine voluntarily test the water after it has passed through the farm against stringent New Zealand drinking water standards (the results are on their website). Believe it or not, you can in fact drink the water after it has passed through the farm. New Zealand does not have fresh water parasites that can harm humans.

 Responsible Practices

"Top Ratings for Responsible Practices"

This salmon farm welcomes the scrutiny of others to review what they do, audit their processes and comment on their management practices. 

  • They are audited and approved by Global Food Safety Initiative – Recognised Certification Programme.
  • They were the first salmon farm in Australasia to receive Best Aquaculture Practice Certification.
  • Monterey Bay Aquarium has recently awarded Mt Cook Alpine Salmon with a ‘best choice’ green rating – acknowledgement of their environmentally responsible practices.
  • Their modern processing plant is regularly audited by the New Zealand Governments exporting agency and retains the highest ranking accreditation.

Their best in class practices and duty of care to the environment, ensure their fish, wherever it is delivered in the world, will always meet the claim of being Nature’s finest tasting salmon.

I had the pleasure of visiting the farm for the second time in June 2018 and I hope you enjoy the video of my visit. Unfortunately, nature was against us as the sound of the high winds made recording voices tricky, but the video will, I hope, bring you closer to the source of this beautiful product.

 

www.alpinesalmon.co.nz


Inverawe Smokehouses, Argyll, Scotland

The Inverawe Smokehouse is a family-run business established in 1974 by Robert & Rosie Campbell-Preston. Nestled at the foot of Ben Cruachan on the beautiful shores of Loch Etive, Inverawe uses time-honoured traditions to produce a fish that truly satisfies both the gourmet and connoisseur.

Nothing but salt and oak smoke add to the flavour of the final product. Inverawe's unique traditional oak smoking technique, along with a superb supply of fresh fish, results in a very special natural product that has earned its rightful place on the tables of the British Royal Household.

The Inverawe Smoked Salmon is produced from salmon that swim in strong tidal flows in the coastal waters off Argyll and the Shetland Isles in Scotland. Smaller, leaner, less fatty salmon with good texture are used as only these healthy, strong fish give a beautiful, superior texture and taste. While the rest of the world has sped up, our supplier prefers the more gradual pace of slow smoking, using a traditional, old fashioned smokehouse. Our Inverawe Smoked Mackerel Fillets and our Inverawe Smoked Haddock Fillets are from the Atlantic Ocean.

Inverawe Smokehouses is committed to reducing its environment impact. Integral to this is their fish sourcing policy. All of their salmon comes from farms which are  committed to sustainable production. Their wild fish suppliers also understand their place in nature and actively seek to limit their impact. The key objective is to ensure the integrity of wild fish stocks. 

The fresh fish are immediately filleted and transported to Inverawe's smokehouse which is nestled on the beautiful shores of Loch Etive in Scotland. Each fish is hand-cured and hung in brick kilns over oak-log fires, where it gently draws in the delicious smoky flavour. This time-honoured smoking method allows the fish to gently take up the gorgeous smoky aroma in its own unhurried time, giving the most delicious full-bodied oak-smoked flavour.

Inverawe Smokehouses Sustainability Policy

Inverawe Smokehouses is committed to reducing its environmental impact. Integral to this is their salmon sourcing policy. All of their salmon comes from farms which are also committed to sustainable production. The farms are located in areas with strong tidal flows in either the coastal waters off Argyll or the Shetland Isles. They understand their place in nature and actively seek to limit their impact. The key objective is to ensure the integrity of wild fish stocks and prevent pollution. They strive to achieve the highest standards of fish welfare and have eliminated use of antibiotics whilst ensuring low stocking densities which help to build stronger healthier fish. Feed comes from sustainable fishmeal sources and a low fat diet is used. Growth hormones are never used.

Inverawe Smokehouses’ slow smoking methods are most suited to smaller, leaner, less fatty fish with a good firm texture. Only these healthy, strong, prime, farmed fresh fish give the beautiful texture and taste our suppliers are known for. Both Inverawe Smokehouses and external suppliers are audited regularly to maintain the highest levels of sustainability, welfare and environmental practices. 

Inverawe Fisheries    Inverawe Fisheries


Ocean Fish, Cornwall

Ocean Fish is a family-owned fishing business with a fishing heritage dating back to 1740. Based in Cornwall, their proximity to West Country fish markets enables them to process the freshest and finest quality fish. The excellent quality of their fresh and frozen products is a result of tireless dedication through generations of experience.

For seven generations, the Lakeman family has been fishing out of the Cornish port of Mevagissey, which has been the family’s home for over 400 years. They continue playing an important role within this small fishing village and the Cornish community, having transformed the harsh fisherman’s existence of their ancestors and placing Mevagissey on the fishing industry heritage maps in the UK and internationally.

Ocean Fish is committed to the sustainable use of the seas and the protection of the marine ecosystem. They are accredited by the Marine Stewardship Council, members of the Cornish Sardine Association and are actively engaged in the Responsible Fishing Scheme while working with the Seafish Authorities and taking part in many discussions and forums in the matters of sustainability prioritisation.

I hope you will enjoy this video from my sourcing trip in July 2019.

www.ocean-fish.co.uk


Wild New Zealand Fish

Blue Cod MSC Certified


We buy our blue cod from a family run fishing company in Nelson in the South Island of New Zealand. The owner/operator fishermen catch this amazing tasting Blue Cod by baited pots or hand lines in the pristine Marlborough Sounds in the South Island. The longline fishing method creates no damage to the seabed and is arguably the most environmentally sensitive fishing method of all commercial fishing activity. The Blue Cod is then filleted by hand, packaged & blast frozen to maintain optimum condition, freshness & taste. This family business prides itself in adhering strictly to all management regimes enacted in the interests of sustainable fishing.

This family run business that we buy from is MSC certified. The MSC is an independent non-profit organisation which sets a standard for sustainable fishing. Fisheries that wish to demonstrate they are well managed and sustainable are assessed by a team of experts who are independent of both the fishery and the MSC. Seafood products can display the blue MSC ecolabel only if that seafood can be traced back through the supply chain to a fishery that has been certified against the MSC standard. The MSC's mission is to use its ecolabel and fishery certification program to contribute to the health of the world's oceans by recognising and rewarding sustainable fishing practices, influencing the choices people make when buying seafood, and working with partners to transform the seafood market to a sustainable basis.

Wild Ling and Wild Ray’s Bream are both line-caught throughout New Zealand to depths of 750m. The use of long-lines is in itself an incredible sustainable way of fishing.

Wild Swordfish come from the supremely clean waters off the West Coast of New Zealand. It is caught by local New Zealand fishermen using surface long-line methods that do not damage the seabed. There is also virtually no non-fish bycatch. The migration patterns of the swordfish result in a very short season from March to July. Our swordfish is approved for export to the USA. The US has stringent guidelines for acceptable mercury levels and this swordfish falls comfortably within those limits. Generally, the bigger the fish the higher the levels, but all the swordfish steaks we sell come from smaller fish and so the levels of mercury are low. 

New Zealand Quota Management System (QMS) - all New Zealand fish are caught sustainably as catches are strictly controlled by the NZ QMS. Having been introduced in 1986, the NZ QMS system is recognised as one of the most effective in the world today.


Ocean Gem Prawns

We are extremely mindful of the widespread issues with prawns and shrimp in SE Asia, and the poor controls most farms apply in how the shellfish are fed and raised. With that in mind, we sourced these Ocean Gem prawns from a beautiful farm off the pollution-free waters of the Vietnam. The meticulously selected eggs are farm-raised under the most advanced farming methods using clean sea-water ponds, a structured feeding regime (with no chemicals or additives) and with full disease monitoring. They are harvested at peak size and flavour, giving them an intense sweet flavour. The entire processing is completed within a few hours of harvest, to lock in each individual prawn's freshness. State of the art processing techniques, together with quality management procedures, uphold the reliable quality of each prawn, benchmarked against the most stringent international standards. Ocean Gems Tiger Prawns surpass the standards set by the US FDA, EU and AQIS.


Ben Banter

Ben Banter’s tag line is “eat better, get better”. Ben Banter snacks are fully compliant with Low Carb / Keto principles and taste great. As they quite rightly say “if you are what you eat, then you want your food to be simple and honest”. Their products are completely natural, with as little sugar and carbohydrates as possible. Quality products are sourced from around the world to meet they exacting standards.

www.benbarter.com

 


Mash Direct, Ireland

Mash Direct

Mash Direct is a family-run company, started by Martin and Tracy Hamilton at their farm in Comber, Northern Ireland. The Hamilton family began farming the fields around them back in the 1800s, bringing with them a wealth of understanding and knowledge of the area and growing conditions. Due to the declining vegetable market in the UK and the demand by the supermarkets for “the perfect looking vegetable”, Mash Direct was born out of necessity as a way of keeping the family farm afloat.

Mash Direct has grown from 70 to 1,400 acres of fields that are tailored to growing traditional, heritage vegetables (for any shape or size!) These are then cooked to perfection using specially designed steam cookers on the farm for that delicious taste and texture of homemade food.

www.mashdirect.com