A Passion for Seafood

03/02/2026

There are a few spaces left for our East Anglian F-REP - all fishermen welcome to apply 🐟🦀

Our final F-REP of the season is just around the corner, and we’re heading to East Anglia!

We’ve still got a few spaces left, so get your applications in to secure your place! We’re looking forward to welcoming participants from across the region for three days of shared learning, discussion and practical thinking about fisheries, science and management.

As ever, F-REPs are about creating a space to step back, compare notes and build the understanding and connections that support collaboration in the long term.

Stay tuned for more as we’ll be sharing live updates and insights from the event, as well as the opportunity for scientists and researchers to get involved in our industry-science mixer.

📍 Norwich
📆 3rd to 6th March
🔗 Find more information via the link here: https://loom.ly/WzTsd-8

22/01/2026

Hurrah for the first trip of the year and an absolutely fabulous day on the Suffolk Heritage Coast with chefs and FOH from including oyster legend 🦪🦪🦪

We explored Aldeburgh beach and learned about the fishery both past and present

Dined royally with with a fantastic spread of
Local herring, scallop, crab, smoked mackerel, fish cake, escargot and tempura anchovies, followed by the signature whole brill and Côte de Boeuf, leaving zero room for dessert 🤦🏻‍♂️

The after lunch session saw us make the short drive via Snape, to wonderful Orford, where we visited - home of the Butley Creek oyster and Pinneys unique and famous smokehouse.

What a great way to kick off the 2026 Quay Connections season in great company 👌🏻


Already looking forward to our next outing 🥰

If you’d like to book a Quay Connections or seafood experience at any of our partner UK harbours do get in touch mike@apassionforseafood.com

16/01/2026

Do follow Great British Farmers learn how our Great British food is produced ‘field to fork’ and ‘net to plate’

We’d love to hear from you and share our passion 🐟🌾

14/01/2026

Seafood Matters - it really does, and increasingly so with food security in the spotlight, but how many people who consume it really understand what it takes to bring the catch from ‘net to plate’

Join me and industry legend Jim Cowie as we discuss my work in fisheries and seafood, disseminating the knowledge and helping folk cut through the conjecture and misunderstanding, by affording a real time and coal-face understanding of the processes involved.

Quay Connections - Empowering consumers to make better choices and decisions.

09/01/2026

Calling all Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex fishermen!

A huge opportunity has arisen to join us March 3rd-6th, at our first ever East Anglian F-REP (Fisheries Resource Education Programme) at Dunston Hall nr Norwich.

Three days of in depth discussions and engagement with industry experts, leaders and representatives on subjects and challenges that matter to you, your businesses and your sustainability.

It’s also a fantastic way of meeting up other like-minded fishermen and colleagues, to share knowledge, opinions and ideas in a constructive and highly social environment.

Register at:

https://forms.gle/ANp4jPw3G7oWMdRZ6

🐟🦀🦞🐚🦪

https://forms.gle/ANp4jPw3G7oWMdRZ6

10/12/2025

Fantastic day for our guests attending the latest ‘Getting to Know Farmed Shellfish’ workshop at Billingsgate yesterday 🦪🇬🇧

26/10/2025

Bottom-trawling - a phrase which has been evoking controversy for a considerable while now in the mainstream media. With spectacularly filmed narratives such as Ocean and Seaspiracy leading the way in demonising the practice, as consumers, we need to recognise the contribution trawling makes to our national food security and not all the practice is equal especially in a global context.

Wild ‘Blue Food’ that is sustainably caught i.e which is in balance environmentally, economically and socially, invariably will involve trawling.

In my latest article on my A Passion for Seafood Substack, I explore the principles behind trawling in the UK and how fishermen themselves, have been the drivers behind gear innovation and technology to improve efficiency, sustainability and ultimately environmental impact.

We all need more understanding of our food production systems and a stronger connection to those who actually manage our natural resources daily, with innate knowledge and experience.
🐟🐟🐟🐟
Click on link in bio to subscribe 🔗

08/10/2025

Sardines, pilchards call ‘em what you will. One of the best flavours to come out of the SW 🐟🐟🐟

06/10/2025

Wonderful weather in Newlyn for our Quay Connections port experience, organised for visiting elements of the Cornish fishing industry for a group of their supporters 🐟

Huge thanks to








Fantastic day learning about the true sustainability of a working fishing community 🐟

30/09/2025

It’s that time of year when the silver shoals will soon appear here off the East Anglian coast 🐟

So abundant were the herring back in the early 1900’s that some 1500 ‘drifters’ worked the eastern grounds from Shetland to the North Foreland and beyond into the Channel 🐟

The season started in the summer in Scotland and the shoals migrated south, reaching us here in about October, as did the Scottish herring girls who followed the fleets - gutting, salting and packing 🐟

In 1913, the total national catch was in excess of 600,000 tonnes (12,000,000
cwt) 🐟

Then came the Great War and the decline of the fishery set in 🐟

Are the herring still there - you’ll bet they are. Do we catch them? No, not really, not like our forefathers did. Do we eat them - no same answer 🐟

Over the next couple of months, I’ll be investigating the present day Norfolk and Suffolk herring fishery and seeing if we can’t revitalise it and celebrate the seasonal harvest of the ‘Silver Darlings’ - one of the most delicious, sustainable, heathy, nutritious and affordable fish you’ll ever eat 🐟

Watch out for recipes, tales, interviews, anecdotes and sign up for my Substack (link in bio) to get the whole download of the history of this iconic fish, that truly made history 🐟
🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟

29/09/2025

What an incredible two days under some simply stunning Suffolk skies.

The weather gods smiled on us and the whole weekend passed in a huge foodie frenzy with thousands of people enjoying our 20th Festival 😎

On the Seafood Stage, we enjoyed some truly inspirational cooking from our guest chefs, but also some of the most entertaining and enlightening conversations surrounding food, producers, hospitality, kitchen hacks, passion, food memories and intuition, which is what it’s all about 👌🏻

Our chefs cooked with wild bass, cod, mackerel, sardines, langoustine, oysters, ray wings, scallops, prawns, mussels and salmon. Huge thanks to them and of course and her ever dependable and passionate crew backstage and who did an absolutely remarkable job with our new set up 👊🏻

Thanks also to and who helped keep the crowds fed with our sensational bavette steak and garlic lobster rolls 🦞

Sadly all over in a blur, but some incredible memories made. Thank you to all of you who came and supported us 🙏🏻

📷

29/09/2025

I’m delighted and honoured to have a recipe included in the new 2026 calendar 😊

Its beautiful design, with intricate and atmospheric lino cuts, depicting different seafood species and evocative harbour scenes have been masterfully created by Cornish artist 🦀

My recipe features one of my favourite local fish from our coast here in Suffolk and is so easy to prepare and assemble.

I’ve chosen Thornback ray or ‘roker’ as it’s called here (aka skate) and is super abundant, not just in our waters but all around the inshore coast from North Shields to Fleetwood.

It’s a tremendous flavour, great for children (or bone-wary diners) and the texture when cooked and lifted from the frame is perfect for fish cakes.

The paprika adds a little bite and if you serve with a home made tartare sauce or aioli you can’t go wrong.

Some ray species are less abundant and preferable to use, but with Thornbacks you’re perfectly safe and supporting our Great British inshore fishing communities. 👊🏻🐟🦞🦀

If in doubt over fish sustainability - always ask your local independent fishmonger. Or if you don’t have one you can always message me 😉🐟