Falfish - the Falmouth Fishselling Company - has increased its export sales by 111% to £7.7m since 2002, representing 67% of its sales. It's an achievement that led to it being crowned Best Exporter at Cornwall Enterprises' inaugural Cornwall Business Awards 2006 and winning the Queen's Award for Enterprise this year.
But the balance of export to UK sales is set to change. Sales of seafood in Britain are soaring, and consumers are also taking to less familiar species such as bass, pollock and megrim. MD Mark Greet says:"Fish sales have a tremendous way to go in this country, especially with the health dimension. We are expecting further exponential growth with supply being diverted from export. Species that are popular abroad such as Dover sole, monk and cuttlefish are really starting to gain ground."
Falfish, based in Redruth, has totally integrated catching, processing and marketing operations. It purchases more than 40 species of fish and shellfish from all the main south west auctions and direct total catch from a fleet of vessels in Cornwall, Devon and across the English Channel, Wales and Scotland. Procurement of fish is also derived from many other European ports.
It sells direct to Morrisons, which stocks its fish nationwide, and is also currently involved in a trial with seven Tesco Local stores in Cornwall. Its supply is of chilled, but added value is on the agenda for next year, as is a brand with which it can exploit the Cornish factor.
Falfish is part of Invest in Fish Southwest, a £1.8m ocean recovery project backed by WWF, as well as several other major sustainability initiatives. Sustainability is also at the heart of its operations with Cornwall's line caught fleet, ring net sardines and inshore mixed fishery boats.
"Cornish fish is a very good brand, and also has great pull in terms of local sourcing," Greet says. "There are not many large scale fisheries left off the British Isles and a large percentage of the Cornish fishery is sustainable, and includes the MSC handline mackerel. It is also backed by very good science.
"We are working with Seafood Cornwall to help achieve further fisheries to be certified such as Cornish Ring net sardines, line-caught seabass and line-caught pollack. And we are proud that local caught supplies have a lower carbon footprint than fish that is shipped from afar or air-freighted.
"And we have a great platform for growth with our £2m factory that opened in Redruth in 2004."
But the balance of export to UK sales is set to change. Sales of seafood in Britain are soaring, and consumers are also taking to less familiar species such as bass, pollock and megrim. MD Mark Greet says:"Fish sales have a tremendous way to go in this country, especially with the health dimension. We are expecting further exponential growth with supply being diverted from export. Species that are popular abroad such as Dover sole, monk and cuttlefish are really starting to gain ground."
Falfish, based in Redruth, has totally integrated catching, processing and marketing operations. It purchases more than 40 species of fish and shellfish from all the main south west auctions and direct total catch from a fleet of vessels in Cornwall, Devon and across the English Channel, Wales and Scotland. Procurement of fish is also derived from many other European ports.
It sells direct to Morrisons, which stocks its fish nationwide, and is also currently involved in a trial with seven Tesco Local stores in Cornwall. Its supply is of chilled, but added value is on the agenda for next year, as is a brand with which it can exploit the Cornish factor.
Falfish is part of Invest in Fish Southwest, a £1.8m ocean recovery project backed by WWF, as well as several other major sustainability initiatives. Sustainability is also at the heart of its operations with Cornwall's line caught fleet, ring net sardines and inshore mixed fishery boats.
"Cornish fish is a very good brand, and also has great pull in terms of local sourcing," Greet says. "There are not many large scale fisheries left off the British Isles and a large percentage of the Cornish fishery is sustainable, and includes the MSC handline mackerel. It is also backed by very good science.
"We are working with Seafood Cornwall to help achieve further fisheries to be certified such as Cornish Ring net sardines, line-caught seabass and line-caught pollack. And we are proud that local caught supplies have a lower carbon footprint than fish that is shipped from afar or air-freighted.
"And we have a great platform for growth with our £2m factory that opened in Redruth in 2004."
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