World Oceans Day
June 2024
With World Oceans Day this month, we thought perhaps we should tell you all about what we have been doing on the subject of 'fish'!
According to National Geographic, about 31% of the world's fish populations are overfished and 58% are fished at the maximum sustainable level. We have been working with our key suppliers to make sure that the fish we serve is from a sustainable source.
We embrace fish seasonality as it supports sustainable fishing practices. Fish that are in-season are also at their peak in terms of flavour and texture, so also great for our customers. We work with our suppliers who issue a seasonal guide to fish, which serves as a resource for menu planning and lists all of the species that are in season each month so our Exec Chefs and Head Chefs in the pubs can make educated choices about what to list on their Daily Menus.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) also plays a key role in the planning of the menus. The MCS aquaculture and fisheries program promotes sustainable seafood consumption through its consumer awareness program and by working directly with the seafood industry. The MCS traffic light system has become the go-to-guide used by restaurants and caterers in the UK to assess the sustainability of both wild and farm caught fish. Using scientific data from numerous sources, the MCS updates their ratings twice a year on their website - www.fishonline.org
.The MSC system has been developed to help consumers choose the most environmentally sustainable fish. 'Best choices' are rated 1 - 2. Species rated 3 can be eaten, but not too often. And fish rated 4 - 5 should be avoided and will not be listed on our menus.