Author Archives: regalfish

If you’re a customer of ours, you will know that we are proud of our Grimsby roots. You’ll have likely seen our gushing Grimsby stories either in our brochure or on our regular updates on social media, but we honestly believe that Grimsby is Great and we make it our business to ensure that the nation has easy access to Grimsby produce.

So much so that we have recently joined the Grimsby FMA (Fish Merchants Association) and you will soon notice that a lovely new logo will appear on many of our ready prepared products featuring the strap line ‘Made Great in Grimsby’.

We have been fortunate enough to hold our own as one of the nations best fishmongers and are proud to have been able to deliver the best seafood products Grimsby has to offer to homes nationwide for over 30 years!

What makes our service so special is that we only purchase what we need to fulfill the sales in the system. So we take orders from our customers over the phone or on our website ready for a delivery date the following week. Meaning there is no waste or old product to sell on, therefore our customers can be confident in the ultimate freshness.

Our system allows David Hussey our Fresh Purchasing Manager to have advance notice of exactly what is required, then he has the important job of sourcing the best available product.

Dave has worked in the Seafood industry for over 45 years and since welcoming him over 6 years ago the company has seen some changes in how we are able to source our fresh fish. His extensive knowledge and contacts in the UK, Iceland and Norway have allowed us to move our supply to where the fish is in peak season and plentiful.

As well as regular purchases from Grimsby market we have connections with several other markets, we buy from Cornwall and much of our white fish comes from Scotland or Shetland.

With fresh fish being at the centre of our business of course it would be easier for us to concentrate on ensuring the quality of our market fresh fish and to simply supply a range of mass produced ready meals and prepared products that compliment. But our ethos is ‘best seafood, best service and best advice’ and the same goes for our ready prepared range.

Lincolnshire and indeed Grimsby have some of the finest producers and we are glad to share our love for the best quality seafood, combined with bespoke recipes, expert techniques and careful handling from artisan producers which we believe is what help to set us apart.

Much of the fresh fish that goes through our factory is frozen daily by us and goes into some of our prepared products, we also source the best quality fillets and portions to the exact specification required for our handmade bakes and meals.

We regularly promote our artisan suppliers and believe our relationship with local producers like Chapmans of Grimsby is fundamental. We are constantly comparing quality and looking at new products and suppliers from Grimsby so that we can offer a range of delicious products that you wont find in the supermarket.

We’ve put together a list of our favourite ‘locally made products from Grimsby’, we don’t like to blow our own trumpet but we are pretty sure you will be impressed with what Grimsby has to offer!

There is so many we had to miss off as we ran out of spaces! For the full range of ready prepared products please visit our ready prepared section on the website and we are always adding new products so keep an eye on the ‘New to Regal’ section too!

Here at Regal, only the best will do for our customers and we have been supplying traditionally smoked Haddock and Cod Smoked overnight by MTL fish curers every day since 1989.

The process of smoking fish is an age old tradition, introduced hundreds of years ago as a way of extending the usability of fish by adding salt and yellow dye.

The smoke house used by MTL dates back approximately 150 years, making it the oldest still in use in Grimsby and it is now listed.

It was in 1982 that MTL was formed when the smokehouse was taken over by brothers Martin and Terry Leggett and later Steve Leggett.

All these years on and the business is now  in the very capable hands of experienced fish smoker Ian Button who joined MTL as a school leaver and has spent the past 30 years  following the traditional methods of smoking the fish.

He starts each morning by selecting the absolute best fresh fish available from the Grimsby Fish Market, in order to ensure a superior quality product, all of the fish selected use sustainable fishing methods.

The fish is then hand filleted by the experienced filleters on the premises at the smoke house, before the fillets are immersed in brine.

Ian then climbs up and down the tar lined chimney himself and hangs the fillets on long metal rods called spreats in the traditional manner.

The fillets are very gradually smoked using smouldering sawdust for a minimum of 12 hours. This provides a very different product from the mechanically smoked product that many supermarkets offer with a liquid smoke that is pumped over the fish. Instead the traditional smoke penetrates the fish throughout the fillet.

We are confident that we offer the best possible quality  product. Our service guarantees that the fish can be purchased fresh from the market, filleted and smoked one day and in the customer’s home the next. This sets our service apart from others.

We interviewed Ian Button from MTL and asked him some of your frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between yellow and natural smoked fish?

Actually, not much! Well not in terms of the process and the flavour anyhow.

The yellow dye is a mix of natural colourings, in our case turmeric and annatto.

The natural and yellow smoked Haddock and Cod are smoked in the chimney  the exact same way. The colour is only added if requested and is only cosmetic as some customers prefer the appearance of the yellow coloured fish.

How long does the fish last for once it’s smoked?

We usually give between 3 and 5 days on the label as best before but it should usually be good for a week on average. The fish is bought fresh from the Grimsby Fish Market  each day and is filleted on the premises before it is hung  and smoked and so it will reach the customer in the best possible quality. We don’t extend the shelf life by treating the product to a gas flush or with preservatives unlike much supermarket smoked fish. Also we wrap in the traditional manner in paper so its packed in a way that keeps the traditional flavour rather than extending the shelf life.

Does the fish vary in strength dependant on where in the chimney it has been hung?

There are many things that can effect the taste and flavour of the fish.

The texture and source of the fish can  cause variations as well as the air temperature, wind and damp in the air from rain or fog.

 The place within the chimney can alter the flavour  slightly dependant on how many fillets are hung. The chimney can hold around 650 kg of fillet but we try to stick at 450 kg in order to ensure the maximum infusion of flavour and a good smoking of each and every fillet.

What is the PGI status and why has MTL been awarded with it? What does it mean to MTL?

In 2009 Traditional Grimsby Smoked fish was awarded PGI status by the European Commission. PGI status stands for Protected Geographical Indication and is supported through the European Protected Food names scheme.

The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs  (DEFRA), defines Traditional Grimsby smoked fish as fillets of Cod or Haddock weighing between 200 and 700 grams, which have been cold smoked in accordance with the traditional method and within a defined geographical location within Grimsby

Grimsby Traditionally Smoked Fish was only the 39^th food product in the UK to receive PGI status and only 4 had been awarded to seafood products and so it is a huge accolade.

There were only a handful of companies awarded the PGI status for Grimsby traditional smoked fish, we were thrilled to receive it as it meant that it had been recognised that our product was superior to other smoked cod or haddock.

We are visited every year by Trading Standards so that they can ensure we are correctly adhering to the strict controls and  applying the traditional methods.

The PGI status was awarded to the natural product and not the yellow, the reason for this being that there are many different  possibilities for colourings so it would be difficult to monitor.

People are thinking more and more about what is on their plate, where it has come from, how it is prepared and whether artificial colours or flavourings have been added.

The PGI accreditation helps people to understand that we offer a superior quality product which uses traditional and natural methods and that’s what sets us apart. We look forward to continuing support from our customers and  we will continue to supply them with Traditional  Smoked Fish which is unsurpassed in quality and flavour.

We are very happy to announce that our long serving supplied of Trout fillets has extended their excellent service levels and will now be offering Boned Trout Fillets. This is fantastic news and we are grateful for the efforts that have gone into offering this service to us and our customers.

For over 10 years we have been sourcing our fresh Trout from Belleau Bridge Trout Farm in Lincolnshire. Harvested to order and delivered twice a week so our customers really can enjoy the freshest Trout available.

A family business ran by keen fisherman Simon Harrop and his wife Ginny after Simon’s father Adrian set up the fishery in 1975, the absolute utmost care an attention goes into the whole process and they have earned an excellent reputation.

The name comes from the chalk bed river which runs through the farm and one taste and you will get a feel for the quality conditions the Trout are raised in. Spring fed with the purest mineral water and earth dug ponds which gives each Trout a close to nature condition and allows us to source the best quality fish all year round.

We are extremely proud to offer this product to our customers and can confidently say that we are completely satisfied that it meets with the very high standards that our customers have come to expect from our range. We hope you enjoy your new Trout fillets minus the bones!

Our fresh trout fillets are available to buy here.

We have had some excellent fish through the doors over the past few weeks and much of it has been supplied by Lerwick registered vessel ‘Venturous’.

Each morning our Cod, Haddock and Coley is landed in Shetland and brought to Grimsby via Aberdeen ready for our filleters to prepare to our customers specific requirements each morning.

The quality of the Shetland fish is absolutely superb and each fish is handled with care meaning that they are in perfect condition for filleting.

These fishermen work in what is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world and so we are so grateful for the sacrifices they make in order to keep fish on our tables!

As soon as the fish is received at our factory, the technical manager and fish buyer check the quality of the fish ensuring it meets the expected standards and is well iced. Several fillets are then taken for further inspection and finally cooking up for our Torry Assesment.

The beauty of our service is that we only purchase what is required each day, orders are taken in advance and so the fresh fish is purchased, prepared and sent out meaning there isn’t any stock left over.

Any tails or surplus fillets are trimmed and sent off each day for our ready meal or goujon production and so it gives us a clean start and ensures the optimum freshness! This is what we believe sets us apart, we call it our ‘fresh approach’.

Many people ask us, when is a shrimp a prawn? Well when you live in the UK the two are pretty much the same thing! With one or two exceptions. Confusing right? 

In many countries the term ‘Prawn’ is used to describe larger species and ‘Shrimp’ is used to describe the smaller prawn. There is more information here but don’t worry we are on hand to help and advise!

Here at Regal we go to great lengths to ensure our team are highly trained and can advise you on the type of prawn that suits your needs. The last thing you want is to spend good money on a cooked prawn only to ruin it by heating it for too long in a recipe dish. We receive calls from customers who have in the past done just that and it’s put them off, so here is a little bit of information to help you out!

Cooked or Raw?

First of all you need to decide how you wish to use your prawn. If you are looking for a prawn that is ready to defrost and pop straight onto a salad or sandwich then you need a cooked prawn and the smaller prawns are better suited.

If you are wishing to use a prawn in a curry or a recipe dish and it needs to be cooked or have heat added then we advise buying a raw prawn. They don’t take long to cook, usually 4-5 minutes on direct heat like a frying pan or a little longer in a curry or stew so keep an eye on the time and ensure you follow the recipe instructions. Adding prawns right at the beginning when the other ingredients take 20-30 minutes to cook might not be the best idea and you may end up with a tough prawn.

Coldwater vs Warmwater

Coldwater prawns are wild caught, usually cooked and frozen on board the vessel and tend to be the smallest of the prawns on offer, that being said they vary in size from 100 to 250+ per 454g. Wild caught mainly in the North East Atlantic, they are cooked and peeled ready for you to defrost and use. These are widely available and are the most popular here in the UK.

Warmwater prawns are the larger prawns and are usually farmed in Asia or South America and grow much larger. Commonly known as king prawns or Tiger prawns, they are available cooked or raw and are usually used in recipe dishes.

Shell On or Shell Off?

Available in both warm and coldwater, cooked and raw there is usually a shell on or a shell off version. This is down to personal preference. On the coldwater prawns you may like to shell them yourself as the shell retains more of the flavour but most people prefer the ease of just defrosting and adding to a salad or jacket potato.

The same goes with the king prawns. If you are having a curry you might prefer to use a fully peeled prawn so you don’t have to get your hands dirty during eating but paella dishes look great with the full shell prawn and again you can’t beat cooking a raw shell on prawn for the overall flavour. Everything is locked in when it’s frozen and they taste delicious!

Large or Small?

Size doesn’t matter when it comes to prawns, in fact the smaller prawns tend to have a sweeter more favourable taste profile. That being said the larger prawns take on flavours better so a marinade or sauce will match really well and that’s why the larger prawns are the perfect protein for recipe dishes.

Just a note…

It is important to note that prawns when frozen require a good glaze to protect them. They burn in the freezer very easily so this is why larger prawns may have 20-30% glaze and the smaller prawns 8-15% protective glaze.

Don’t worry we aren’t trying to pull the wool over your eyes! We only declare the net weight and so you know exactly what you are paying for once the glaze has melted away. Just be careful when you open the bag that you seal it back up well as domestic freezers are more likely to dry out the prawn and opening and closing will cause the texture to deteriorate.

So now you have an idea of the differences, here’s what we have available in a quick and easy infographic!

Two for the price of one with our favourite flat fish are available fresh again!

Lemon Sole

Latin Name: Microstomus kitt
Flavour: Mild
Texture: Soft
Omega-3 Level: Low
Cooking Method(s): Bake, Grill, Poach, Steam

‘Lemons’ have an oval body; more rounded than a Dover, with a lighter, yellowy-brown dark side. Ranging in size from 230g to 1kg, these sole have a sweet delicate flesh and are ideal for any sole recipes, working especially well with creamy white wine sauces. A great fish cooked on the bone, fillets are always popular, and are great for rolling around a filling (delice) then steaming or baking. Lemon sole from the UK’s South Coast are generally considered the best however it is also found in the Eastern Atlantic and North Sea.

Available fresh between June and November. Frozen available all year round.

High in: Protein; Vitamin B12; Selenium
Source of: Niacin; Phosphorus

https://www.regalfish.co.uk/recipe/flat-fish/citrus-lemon-sole-skewers/

Plaice

Latin Name: Pleuronectes platessa
Flavour: Medium
Texture: Soft
Omega-3 Level: High
Cooking Method(s): Bake, Deep fry, Grill, Microwave, Poach, Shallow fry, Steam, Stir fry

Plaice is best when eaten as fresh as possible, as the flavour quickly fades. Ranging from 230g to 2kg in size, whole fish is easily identified by its distinctive orange spots, the brighter the spots, the fresher the plaice. It has as pronounced a flavour as lemon sole, but it takes sauces and other flavours very well, and is great for battering.

Available fresh from June to December. Frozen available all year round.

High in: Protein; Thiamin; Vitamin B12; Biotin; Selenium
Source of: Niacin; Vitamin B6; Phosphorus; Iodine

https://www.regalfish.co.uk/recipe/flat-fish/lemony-fish-fillets/

Information courtesy of fishisthedish.co.uk

Great Fish to Use on the Grill!

1. Swordfish
Swordfish is a fantastic fish for grilling! It’s a mild-tasting, firm, meaty fish that holds up great on the grill. You can buy our Swordfish Supreme to cook whole or cut it up and skewer it.

2. Salmon
Whether you cook it as a steak or a fillet, salmon can withstand the heat of the grill, keeping its distinct flavour and staying together. Also consider grilling salmon on cedar planks for an added flavour twist.

3. Tuna
Tuna is like the steak of the seafood world. It’s so versatile! Tuna steak is thick and hearty, with a distinct flavour. Perfect for a summer BBQ !

4. Red Snapper
Perfect for grilling and the BBQ, this sought after fish boasts a firm texture and sweet flavour!

5. Mackerel
This is a ‘good for you’ fish with high levels of Omega 3 fatty acids and an excellent source of selenium (an essential mineral) and Vitamin B12. The flavour is rich with a moist texture and is excellent grilled.

Tips for Great BBQ Fish!

When fish cooks on a grill, it loses moisture fast — faster than most meats. And over an open grill, the juice drips straight onto sizzling coals. To preserve moisture, coat the fish with oil, which will seal some of the moisture inside. And follow these steps:

• Designate a cool area on the grill. Pile hot coals on just one side of the grill.
• Start with clean grill grates.
• Use tongs to rub the grate with a cloth or paper towel coated with vegetable oil.
• For firm fleshed fish like salmon, halibut, and tuna steaks: brush the fish with vegetable oil and season with salt.
• Most fish can grill directly on the grate, at high heat.
• Flip as soon as the fish is cooked at least ½ way through.
• For every 1-inch of thickness, expect about 10 minutes of cooking time (over medium-hot coals).
• Wrap thin fillets or delicate fish in corn-husks, banana leaves, grape leaves, or aluminium foil — or place the fish on top of the foil. Place parchment paper between fish and foil to help prevent sticking.
  Courtesy of allrecipe.com

Great Marinades For Your Fish

Our brains are mostly derived from food. Over the last 50 years we have seen dramatic alterations to what we eat, how food is processed and refined, food additives, the use of pesticides and even an alteration intensive farming has had on animal fats. These changes to our diets over recent years mean that the nutritional content we consume daily is very different to even our closest ancestors.

The essential fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6 make up 20% of the fat in our brains, the term “essential” is used to describe these as they cannot be made within the body, so must be consumed within our diets. These fatty acids each perform vital functions in the way brain cells are structured, making sure communication with the brain is a s smooth as possible.

Experts suggest that most people consuming “western diets” are consuming more Omega-6 than Omega-3. With both fatty acids being found in equal amounts in the brain, it is implicated that consuming unequal amounts of Omega-3 and Omega-6 can be a part of metal health issues, including depression, and concentration and memory problems.

Eating Fish for Depression

Depression is a common mental condition.
It’s characterised by low mood, sadness, lethargy, and loss of interest in life and activities.
Although it isn’t discussed nearly as much as heart disease or obesity, depression is currently one of the world’s biggest health problems.
According to healthline.com Studies have found that regular fish eaters are less likely to become depressed. A number of trials have also shown that Omega-3 may fight depression and increase the effectiveness of antidepressant medication. Fish and Omega-3 may also help combat other mental conditions such as bipolar disorder!

Fish and Brain Health

Brain function often declines with ageing. Whilst this is normal, their are also serious neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers exist.
Observational studies have shown that eating fish can slow mental decline. Studies also show that people who eat fish weekly have more grey matter (the brains main major functional tissue) in the parts of the brain that control emotion and memory!

National Opinion Poll Findings (courtesy of www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ ):

• Women report eating healthy foods, including fresh vegetables, fruit or fruit juice and meals made from scratch, more often than men, who tend to eat more takeaways and ready meals.
• Younger people report eating less healthy foods (fresh fruit and vegetables, organic foods and meals made from scratch) and more unhealthy foods (chips and crisps, chocolate, ready meals and takeaways) than older people.
• 29% of 15-24 year olds report eating a meal made from scratch every day, compared with 50% of those aged over 65.
• Younger people are more likely than older people to report daily mental health problems, as are those in social class DE, those on a lower income, those who are not in paid employment and those who are not married.
• Nearly two thirds of those who do not report daily mental health problems eat fresh fruit or fruit juice every day, compared with less than half of those who do report daily mental health problems.
• This pattern is similar for fresh vegetables and salad. Those who report some level of mental health problem also eat fewer healthy foods (fresh fruit and vegetables, organic foods and meals made from scratch) and more unhealthy foods (chips and crisps, chocolate, ready meals and takeaways).

You can find our Omega-3 rich products here: https://www.regalfish.co.uk/seafood/oil-rich-fish/

And for more reading material on the links between diet and metal health: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/FeedingMinds_exec_summary.pdf

Ingredients

Skinned and bone cod fillets
1 onion (small diced)
1 celery stick (small diced)
1 carrot (small diced)
2 fat garlic cloves (grated or minced)
1 heaped tablespoon of Ghee or plain vegetable oil
1 tin chopped tomatoes
400g of passata (I used my own home made and frozen last year) but you can use an extra can of chopped tomatoes or shop bought passata.
100g cold block butter (cubed)
Water
Lentils can be red, green, brown or black lentils and yellow split peas.
I used just because I had them: –
100g dried red lentils
50g dried brown lentils
So 150g of dried lentils of any kind will do, soak them in cold water for an hour or two before use.
Or you could use a tin of (drained) green lentils and 50 g of dried red lentils. If you do this you’ll need less water.
Enough Salt, Pepper and flour to dredge the cod in.

Spices:
I used these simply because I had them in:-
1tsp coriander seeds or ½ tsp ground
1tsp cumin seeds or ½ tsp ground
½ tsp fennel seeds or ¼ ground
½ tsp hot curry powder
1tsp grated fresh turmeric
1tsp grated fresh ginger
½ tsp black pepper corns

You can use any or all of the above or substitute/add your favourite spices.

A pinch of powdered ginger and turmeric will replace the fresh turmeric and ginger I used. You can add chilli powder (Himself is a wimp so I didn’t add this but if you like it hot)… ½ tsp or to your taste!

So that all seems like a lot of stuff?

Don’t despair, I promise it is worth it. So collect all the ingredients you can or indeed have together and let’s begin.

Method

Grind/bash any seeds

Heat (medium heat) a heavy bottomed saucepan with a dollop of oil or ghee in the bottom

Add all diced vegetables and sauté until softened but not browned (approx 5 – 10 minutes)

Add spices and stir through.

Then add all the other ingredients including a can of water (use the tomato tin)

Bring to the boil then simmer on a very, very low heat stirring often (as it thickens it can stick) for at least 1 hour (I aim for 1 ½ hours). You may have to top up the water as you go depending on how thirsty your lentils are.

When your lentils have softened completely add salt to taste. Stir in the cubed butter until it melts, this makes the mixture really creamy, taste again and add more salt if needed and serve.

You can also cool the mixture and refrigerate for later use, reheat slowly stirring to prevent it sticking.

I’ve never frozen it but I expect it would freeze well, just defrost slowly when needed.

Make Cod the star of the show!

Fresh, quality fish needs very simple cooking in my opinion. I made a well seasoned flour dredge with plain flour, salt, black and white pepper.

Simply dredge the fish and shake of any excess to lightly coat it and simply fry on a medium heat in plain vegetable oil turning once.

Enjoy!

Quality is paramount to us here at Regal and our aim is to supply our customers with the very best seafood available. Our buyers responsibly source the finest quality seafood each day and only buy what we need to fulfil the sales we have in our system, this fresh approach is what sets us apart.

Each morning Joe our fresh QC apprentice (who also happens to be one of Grimsby Institutes apprentices of the year) brings our fresh fish into the factory and our technical team check each batch thoroughly. The fish is traced to the boat on which it was caught and where in the sea too and all of this information is logged so that we have full traceability.

Every batch of fish is then checked using a QIM system which measures the quality of the fish based on the appearance of the whole fish. Including the gills, eyes and skin using a point based system. A piece is then cooked and tested to ensure the taste profile meets with our expectation.

From there our 2 expert filleters, cut the fish by hand and ensure the fish meets with our high expectations. Filleter Bruce Harper is one of our longest serving staff here and has worked for Regal for 30 years therefore he has a very good eye for quality, any product he is unsure of he flags to the technical team.

Once the fish is checked and filleted it is then handed over to our packers. Again due to the average length of service in our factory we have experienced eyes and they are fundamental in our Quality Control chain, they pull aside or further trim any fillets as they pack.

When packing is complete each day the QC apprentice will take a random sample of each species back to the QC kitchen for tasting to our taste panel. The fish is cooked and tasted to see how they fair on the Torry scale.

Each member of our technical team and taste panel are trained to carry out the Torry Assessment  and can use this information to check how many days the fish has been out of the water and on ice, this allows us to ensure that the catch information and dates match up.

The frozen and ready prepared products are no different, each product is produced in small batches using top quality fish by local producers and regularly compared to ensure our quality is a cut above.

A sample from each batch is taken from stock by frozen coldstore supervisor Barry Ballard, who will carry out several QC checks including weight and count checks, core percentage checks and organoleptic (smell and taste) assessment. He works alongside our frozen purchasing manager and our suppliers to ensure our very high standards are met.

We are third party accredited by SALSA, which is a standard written by experienced food safety experts. Their team provide us with expert advice and guidelines so that we can ensure that we are fully compliant.

The annual audit requires us to demonstrate that we operate to the required standard by ensuring the correct HACCP, health and safety and food hygiene standards are practiced and that the supporting evidence and paperwork is in place.

Our technical managers job is to demonstrate that we routinely check and test our products, that we follow the set guidelines and to prove to our auditor that we are able to produce our products safely and legally exceeding the standards expected by enforcement authorities.

We are proud to say that following our audit in March we have again passed for 2020. We are grateful to our QC team led by Technical Manager Richard Kirwin who himself has worked in the factory at Regal for over 20 years and has a wealth of experience so we trust we are in very safe hands!

Meet the team –