News / Impressed by the local seafood
THE chief executive and the head of buying at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant Fifteen London, Andrew Parkinson and Tony Welch, have just completed a two day fact finding visit to Shetland.
They two flew in to Shetland on Monday to see for themselves where their seafood is sourced and the techniques used by the local seafood industry.
Their visit was hosted by Alasdair MacPherson of Shetland’s Finest, the company that supplies Restaurant Fifteen.
He said: “The first stop on our itinerary was a visit to Blueshell Mussels to see, first hand, the environment in which Shetland mussels thrive.
“From there, we went fishing out of Muckle Roe on the Viora to haul some creels and land some line-caught mackerel, cod and haddock.
“We also took a tour of Lerwick fish market so that Andrew and Tony could see for themselves the range and quality of fish landed in Shetland.
“Sourcing seafood from a sustainable resource and MSC certification is a top priority for Restaurant Fifteen and we were able to demonstrate the fisheries in Shetland that are already part of the programme and those that are working towards certification.
Mr Parkinson said: “As a first time visitor to Shetland, I’m very impressed with the sights we’ve seen.
“Alasdair’s knowledge of the product is second to none and he leaves me no choice but to continue to purchase even more produce from Shetland for use on our menus at Fifteen Restaurant London!
“The prospect of Shetland’s Finest gaining accreditation from MSC is very exciting as we at Fifteen are already signed up, therefore we will be able to highlight this on the menu.”
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