Fish and Chips are still at the heart of our nation and
despite the difficult situation at the moment, they remain Britain’s favourite
meal so we would like to ask our wonderful customers to help us come together
and help our Fishermen at this very difficult time.
In the last few weeks, the Coronavirus has hit our fishermen
hard. Markets have collapsed across Europe leading to an abrupt end to fishing
in some UK ports. With fishing boats tied up, income has disappeared leading to
very tough times for UK fishermen who were already struggling after a harsh
winter and terrible storms.
Here at Regal Fish, we are working with the Fishermen’s Mission to extend our support to the fishermen and their families and we need your support!
We want you to host your own ‘fish and chip’ dinner, all you
need to do is buy a pack of our delicious Chunky Battered Haddock Portions and
enjoy them at home. Simple as that!
traditional British fish and chips with potato and lemon
For every pack that is purchased during April we will donate
£2 to the Fishermens Mission so they can help those in need.
Andy Malcolm, Fundraising Manager for the Fisherman’s
Mission was invited to add his comments
on our promotion.
‘‘The Fishermen’s
Mission is the vital port of call for UK fishermen and their families. Fishing
is the most dangerous job of all. Families who have lost loved ones at sea,
injured fishermen and retired fishermen battling loneliness and poverty know
that the Fishermen’s Mission is there for them.
The Fishermen’s
Mission keep our fishermen afloat in times of crisis. We can put food on the
table, ensure a roof overhead with heating and lighting and be a trusted friend
when anxiety and uncertainty seems to dominate.
Many of our retired
fishermen and fishermen’s widows are self-isolating at present. The Fishermen’s
Mission ensure they are never forgotten with practical help, food deliveries
and most importantly regular telephone calls to ensure all is ok.
Thank you so much for
helping keep our fishermen afloat and for supporting the Fishermen’s Mission.
Your help means we can always be a lifeline for struggling fishing communities.’’
Our Battered Chunky Haddock Portions are now available to sell via our website www.regalfish.co.uk and to entice you further we have placed a triple offer pack on our website for only £25. That’s £2 saving for you and £6 straight to the Fishermen’s mission!
Whilst the Government urge us to stay at home as the single most important peace of action that we can all take in order to protect the NHS and save lives. Many of us are wondering what to do with our time; some trying to juggle home working and home schooling and others feeling cut off from family, anxious and uncertain.
The advice is to try and keep a routine, so set an alarm and try and get up at the same time each day, get dressed and keep mealtimes set so that you have a structure to your day. It is really important if you don’t have any underlying health concerns, that you also do some form of exercise each day to keep your physical and mental health in best condition. We’ve got our thinking caps on here at Regal and have pulled together our top 10 ideas of ‘Things to do when in isolation’.
Take a look at our suggestions, try some out and let us know
what you and your family are doing to get through the lockdown…
Cook up a storm
Most of you will have more time on your hands, and so now is a great opportunity to get in the kitchen and create a culinary masterpiece! Make a list of what you have in the freezer and look on BBC Good Food to see what you can make from what you have.
Check out the recipe library section on our website for a selection of seafood recipes which are sure to tantalise your taste buds. Our delivery service is still in action so place your order online and receive your fresh and frozen seafood direct to your door. Our drivers are currently making contactless deliveries where possible so you can have your order left in your porch ready to collect.
Why not start your own cookery blog and document everything you cook? We love to see what you all create, so share it with us via social media. Take a photograph and write up your recipe to share with the Regal family!
Whilst the guidelines state one walk a day, it doesn’t mean you have to stop there. Why not take this opportunity to improve your fitness? Go at your own pace and follow your doctor’s advice if you have any health issues, but there is a world of home exercise resources at your fingertips.
Check out the internet for online classes or your planner for tv programmes that will give you a good workout, try your hand at line or ballroom dancing, yoga or even chair exercises for those who have mobility issues. Joe Wicks is running a daily exercise routine each weekday which is aimed at kids, but all of the family can get involved and kickstart their day with a cardio blast. Or why not open the back door and have your own step class?
Pop the radio on or your favourite CD and soak up a little bit of sunshine whilst getting the heartrate up. This will do wonders for your all round wellbeing!
Plan for the future
Remember this is temporary and life will hopefully start to
get back to normal soon. Take the time to build mental strength and whilst you
might not be able to put an exact date on it, plan what you would like to do
once normality resumes.
A good exercise would be to write down the everyday things that you would like to do now, normal things like visiting a friend or sitting in the library. Each time one passes your mind, write it on a note and fill a jar. Imagine how much joy these simple things will bring in only a matter of time!
Start a pinterest board and decorate your home virtually!
This is great fun and doesn’t cost anything, but keeps your imagination going
with exciting things. Create a savings plan so once the current situation subsides
you can work out how you can make your pinterest board a reality.
Read a book
How many times have you said to yourself ‘I really should
read more?’ Well now is the time! Download that autobiography, drag that
history book out of your cupboard or take advantage of Audible and sit back,
relax and get lost in a book. It’s great for your mood and you might learn
something you never knew!
For more inspiration look online or check out Amazon, we found this great list, all of which have a positive approach and may be just what you need right now.
Pick up an old hobby
If you’ve recently let your garden go but have in years gone by enjoyed gardening, it’s the perfect time of year now that the weather is starting to improve. Make the most of the Spring sunshine and give your garden a bit of TLC. Soak up some sunshine (and vitamin D) and once you’re finished sit in your garden and enjoy the fruits of your labour.
Perhaps you like to draw but haven’t had time in recent years, now is the time to pick up the pencil and start sketching. Look at the RHS website for inspiration or google ‘stunning landscapes’ – you don’t need to be an expert, there are lots of drawing tutorials on YouTube, so give it a try, you might enjoy it more than you expect.
Singing, dancing, origami, knitting, DIY, sewing, crafting… the list is endless. Whatever your hobby is, it’s a great opportunity to get back into it, and if you don’t know where to start why not download a book or visit YouTube for help getting started.
Listen to a podcast
Whatever your subject, there’s a podcast for you – whether you’re music mad, tech crazy or into comedy. Take a look online, you’ll find thousands to choose from and you can stream from your mobile phone so you can listen anywhere the BBC is a good place to start but a google search will bring you whatever you are looking for.
Boost your brain
As well as obviously eating seafood to boost your brain
power, there are lots of other things you can do during isolation to keep the
grey matter in top condition. Learn a language, download an app with brain
games or try an online course.
Board games with the family are a great way to keep your
mind active and also inject a bit of fun to your day. Classics like Bingo, Scrabble
and Monopoly are great for all of the family!
Keep in touch
Whilst you can’t pop round and see your friends or meet with family, you can still stay in touch! Call regularly, and if you have a laptop or mobile phone, you can use online apps such as FaceTime and Skype. If you are a complete novice, we found an interesting article which might help you to get set up.
Online social communication is great because you still have
face to face contact, and you can even stay in touch while carrying out day to
day tasks. Call a friend whilst you’re cleaning the kitchen, chat to your
grandkids whilst baking or why not set up a board game and play it over Skype
with your family and friends!
Social media isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it is a good way to keep in touch and feel like you are still part of the community. There’s nothing like a good Facebook rant to get something off your chest, but try and keep it positive and offer encouragement. We love the_happy_broadcast on Instagram, as they aim to fill your news feed with anxiety free and positive news, which is much needed at the moment.
Remember to limit your usage to an hour or so a day, it’s
very easy to get transfixed with scrolling down your news feed, but take a
break and allocate your time wisely.
Meditate and make
time for yourself
Take an hour a day to think of your wellbeing, a bit of ‘me’
time is important and easily overlooked. Run a relaxing bath, pop on some
calming music and light some candles. Just make a space so that you are truly
looking after yourself and try to unwind.
We love the ‘Calm’ app, but there are lots of other similar ones which help you concentrate on your breathing techniques and take a few moments to meditate.
Start a scrapbook
Hopefully the current events will soon be a distant memory
and one that we don’t see again.
Make a diary or a scrapbook to pass down and tell your great
grandchildren about one day.
To take a positive from a terrible situation, this does make
you realise just how lucky we are in everyday life and how unimportant material
things are. Once things hopefully get back to normal, we will appreciate the
small things and hopefully it will bring communities closer together.
An update from Regal Fish Supplies Ltd about Coronavirus
Due to the evolving situation with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) we would like to reassure you that we are still delivering!
Orders can be placed via our website, it may be a little slower due to the amount of traffic we are experiencing but it is one of the quickest and easiest way of placing an order.
Our aim is to provide the usual excellent service to our customers with minimal disruption however please be patient with us at this time.
Currently our staff are working from home where possible and so we would ask you to bear with us as our phone lines are very busy and its taking longer than usual to answer calls to respond to emails. You may also notice that when we call you the number displayed could be different from usual. Where possible we will leave a message if there is no answer.
If you have any urgent questions please send us a message via Facebook and we will try and answer as quickly as possible.
At the moment the majority of our supply hasn’t been interrupted and our factory is managing to fulfil orders. Bear in mind if something suddenly becomes unavailable we may send a frozen alternative. We would usually call you to explain beforehand but this may not be feasible during this busy time so where possible our drivers will bring out the alternative.
If there isn’t an alternative and you need the product let us know and we will endeavour to arrange an interim delivery with the missing product as soon as we have a supply or an alternative.
Our drivers are working very hard to get to you but they have
increased deliveries to make at the moment and there may be delays. In order to protect themselves and our customers, where possible our delivery drivers will be adopting a ‘no contact’ approach, minimising social contact.
We have ‘Regal Cool Bags’ available to help customers facilitate ‘Door step Deliveries’ for a nominal fee of £1.50 (below our cost price). Alternatively our drivers do carry bio degradable carrier bags if you would rather your order be left in one of these.
Please discuss any other necessary arrangements when placing your order with the Customer Service Advisor or add any delivery instructions to “Additional Details, Additional Information’ when placing your order online.
As usual customer service is of paramount importance to us, we are a small team so we appreciate your understanding at this busy time. We will continue to closely follow advice from the Government and Public Health England and further updates will be sent out as we find out more information.
If you
have any concerns do not hesitate to contact us and we will assist where we
can. We would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our customers
the best in what is a very worrying time.
Thank you
for your loyalty and we look forward to supplying you with the best seafood,
best service and best advice despite the current situation.
This week we got to catch up with our Call Centre Manager Julie, a keen walker who’s using her passion to raise money for a fantastic cause in Macmillan Cancer Support!
How often do you complete a challenge walk? I have completed one or two a month over the last year.
What do you enjoy most about walking? I have always loved the outdoors, I really enjoy the exercise & the “feel good factor” (once I have completed a challenge event)!
What distance do you tend to cover? Anywhere between 20 – 27 miles, sometimes over very difficult terrain (thanks to the Great British weather)!
What has been your favourite walk so far? Difficult to say a specific one, I completed the Yorkshire 3 Peaks June 2019 for charity which I thoroughly enjoyed. However on a slightly different scale I completed one recently in January called the “Filey Flyer”! The 23 mile walk started along the cliff tops of Filey & taking in parts of the Cleveland way, Wolds Way & Centenary Way. The sense of freedom was exhilarating!
How often does the dog join you? Unfortunately not as often as I would like her to, many of the challenge events stipulate no dogs allowed as they cross private farm land where livestock are grazing. I do however walk every day & weekends where I’m not on a challenge walk I will take her out with me still covering distances of 10-20 miles!
Why did you choose to walk for Macmillan’s? This is a charity which some of my family members, work colleagues & friends have all benefited from. It’s a charity none of us want to have connections with as it can only mean one thing if we do! However their work & dedication is amazing & any charity event I can organise or partake in to help raise money for this more than worthy cause is well justified. My Husband & I are completing a “Macmillan Mighty Hike” on 4th July in Northumberland covering a distance of 26 miles from Alnwick Castle to Bamburgh. If you would like to support this event please follow the link to my gofundme page!
Responsibly sourced by Regal – Plastic pollution and protecting our seas!
Our objective here at Regal is to supply our customers with information
about the fish we source and supply . Whilst all of our fish is responsibly
sourced and within the quotas set by the government, were possible we promote more
sustainable species and you may have noticed that we have been more recently
highlighting Coley and offering discount packs as an incentive to give it a
try.
Coley is a more sustainable option than other white fish and is just as
tasty and versatile. As with all of the wild species of fish we supply you can
check the RASS
(risk assessment for sourcing seafood) status using the links underneath
the species on our website to find out more information on the fisheries and
how they are managed.
In addition to our responsible sourcing of seafood we work closely with
external bodies to ensure that our packaging is responsibly sourced and that we
supply our customers with the correct information in terms of recycling our
packaging.
Our poly bags, fresh fish boxes and cardboard boxes are all widely
recyclable and we take advice from external charities such as Plastic Oceans UK to ensure we are
‘plastic intelligent’. But we are always looking to improve and as advances
come we are looking to be the first on board!
We are going one step further in our quest to be more responsible and from
this month we will be actively promoting Coley. For every offer pack that we
sell, we will donate a reusable plastic bottle to local schools as part of our
project. We will also make a donation to Plastic
Oceans UK as a thank you for their efforts in protecting our seas.
Keep an eye out as we release more information about where the bottles will
be donated over coming months.
Our
aim is to provide the usual excellent service to our customers with minimal
disruption however due to the evolving situation with the Coronavirus
(COVID-19) we would like to reassure you that we are implementing the following
in accordance with the latest government guidelines and that we will closely
follow advice from the Government and Public Health England.
Currently
our staff are working from home where possible and so we would ask you to bear
with us as it may take a little longer to answer calls and respond to queries,
you may also notice that when we call you the number displayed could be
different from usual. Where possible we will leave a message if there is no
answer.
Visitors
to our sites have been restricted and all staff are taking extra precautions as
recommended and are following the NHS stay at home advice where necessary. An
increased level of health surveillance has been implemented across our business
and supply network and we are continuously monitoring this.
Where
possible our delivery drivers will be adopting a ‘no contact’ approach,
minimising social contact in an attempt to protect our customers as well as our
staff. We have ‘Regal Cool Bags’ available to help customers facilitate ‘Door
step Deliveries’ for a nominal fee of £1.50 (below our cost price) please make
the Customer Service Advisor aware when placing your order. Please discuss any
other necessary arrangements when placing your order.
Currently we believe these procedures should be adequate to prevent any further disruption to the business, please be assured that we will be doing our upmost to continue the best service possible to our customers. However due to unprecedented demand for our Home Delivery service, over the coming days and weeks we are unable to notify customers of products which become unavailable on the day of delivery, we are taking additional steps internally to track product availability, which in most cases will mean we are able to advise on product availability ‘at point of sale’.
If you have any concerns do not hesitate to contact us and we will assist where we can. We would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our customers the best in what is a very worrying time. Thank you for your loyalty and we look forward to supplying you with the best seafood, best service and best advice despite the current situation.
Whilst
it may have made jaws drop with the realisation of what our children were being
fed, it seems the impact that it had may have been more significant than first
anticipated. Bringing the issue of nutrition to the forefront of the media when
childhood obesity is at an all-time high was much needed and this along with
other similar posts, helped to raise the discussion once again. ‘What can we do
to fight this issue?’
The
Huffington post was the latest to publish their version of School meals around
the world (https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/school-lunches-around-the-world_n_6746164)
with Popcorn Chicken being staple on the USA meal programme to Brazilian Pork
with blackbeans and rice. In fact most images show a well-balanced meal, given
that it was published in 2017 after a much needed shake up had been handed out
by governments across the world.
Schools
in England have been trying to improve their offerings over the past 10-15
years with Celebrities pushing the subject into the media and raising the
question about how we can all improve.
Alarmed
by rising obesity rates in children, Jamie Oliver met with Prime Minister Tony
Blair in 2005 and challenged the government to improve the system and the
School Food Trust was introduced. Schools across the UK invested into the
programme and drastic improvements followed.
Children near serving line with healthy food in school canteen
Whilst
the school meal system has improved massively over the past few years, one
thing that hasn’t changed much in that time is the number of servings of
seafood offered to pupils each week. The health benefits (http://blog.regalfish.co.uk/2019/12/09/fish-and-its-health-benefits/)
of Seafood are well documented and the NHS (https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/fish-and-shellfish-nutrition/)
recommend two
portions of Seafood weekly with one oily fish such as Salmon. However most
schools in this country have continued to offer the usual one portion,
generally offered on a Friday.
Of
the various images from the highlighted countries, 3 of the 9 included seafood.
Italy featured locally sourced fish served on bed of arugula, South Korea
offered fish soup with tofu and rice whilst Spain sautéed prawns over brown
rice with vegetables.
With
seafood gracing 1 in 3 offerings it shows that the rest of the world holds fish
and shellfish in high esteem. Then so why does a landlocked country such as
ours only choose to serve it 1 day a week? Are we really giving seafood the
respect it deserves?
We’ve brought together some of our favourite lunchbox ideas and quick and easy to prepare products that are perfect for busy families. And if you need any tips on encouraging your little ones, check out our blog post. (http://blog.regalfish.co.uk/2019/10/23/seafood-for-kids/)
A statement from Regal Fish Supplies Ltd on Coronavirus
3d iillustration of corona virus
In the light of the current public health emergency created by the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19), We would like to reassure customers that we are monitoring the situation carefully and taking steps to minimise the risk of disruption to our operation, as well as protecting the health and wellbeing of our employees and customers.
Our plan is focused on enhanced protection for internal
company operations and employees who work at locations other than our premises; increasing internal
awareness of possible threats posed by the outbreak; the maintenance
of strict internal hygiene and health surveillance and action
planning to minimise any supply interruptions.
Specific measures include:
An increased
level of health surveillance across our business and our supply network
Additional
sanitisation of surfaces in all areas
Close monitoring
of the health of our workforce
Communication
regarding health protection advice and hygiene precautions to
our employees
Flexible working
where possible
We do not currently anticipate disruption to our raw material supply chain.
We believe these procedures should be adequate to prevent any major business disruption or interruption to normal customer service. We continue to actively monitor the situation and monitor advice from Government and the relevant health authorities. Should there be any significant change in our position we will provide a further update.
Do please feel free to contact us if you have any specific questions.
Add prawns to your homemade fish pie for extra flavour!
The Fish Pie, also known as a Fisherman’s Pie ( because the topping is similar to that of shepherd’s pie, in that it uses mashed potatoes.), is a traditional British dish, said to have originated in Scotland.
In earlier times, fish was eaten to honour the Roman goddess Venus. Romans were fond of eating fish but when they invaded Britain they were disrespected for the amount they consumed. At that time in Britain, seafood was mainly consumed on Fridays. The Fisherman’s Pie recipe was thus brought to Britain by these invaders.
It is also said that during Lent, with the exception
of fish, meat was prohibited and so to have a variety in food, many new recipes
were tried and thus the recipe for fish pie evolved. Traditionally, the pie
would be made by combining it with spices, wine, sugar and rosewater. The pie
was covered in a pastry sheet and baked.
Today’s fish pie is usually made with white,
often smoked, fish (for example cod, haddock or halibut)
in a white sauce or cheddar cheese sauce made using the
milk the fish was poached in. Prawns and hard boiled eggs are other
common additional ingredients. It is oven-baked in a deep dish but is not
usually made with the shortcrust or puff pastry casing that is
associated with most savoury pies (e.g. steak and kidney pie).
In place of a pastry casing enclosing the pie, a topping of mashed potatoes (sometimes with cheese or vegetables such as onions and leeks added) is used to cover the fish during baking.
Here are a few of our favourite Fish Pie recipes from a few of our favourite chefs!
Latin Name: Pollachius virens Commercially Farmed: No Price Band: Low Flavour: Mild Texture: Medium Cooking Method(s): Bake, Deep fry, Grill, Microwave, Poach, Shallow fry, Steam, Stir fry
This week we have had some fresh MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) Coley (or as it is also known Saithe) delivered by our Norwegian supplier.
Fresh Coley carefully laid in the box.
The Coley (Saithe) is so highly thought of on the continent
that the Norwegian fishermen treat it with the same care as they would cod or
haddock. The picture above shows the fish carefully laid in the boxes. The fish
are so fresh you can still see the iridescent bloom on the skin of the fish.
Coley (Saithe) is a very underrated fish in the UK. The reason for its lack of popularity may be down to the colour of the flesh. When raw it has a grey look but when cooked it goes a slightly creamy off white colour. Being part of the cod family it has a taste somewhere between Cod and Haddock. It has a mild creamy taste with a good firm texture making it ideal to dust with spices, and it is ideal in curries. Its firm texture also makes it ideal in fish cakes or fish pies. As its price is much less than cod and haddock it makes a great economic alternative and being MSC approved, it is still fully sustainable.
