Business Hour
Fishmonger Giles Shaw explains why receiving a new national accreditation, recognising industry excellence, is so important to him and his business
Clitheroe fishmonger Giles Shaw has been running his Wellgate Fisheries and Smokehouse business for three decades. So, it was with great pride recently that he was one of the first in the UK to be awarded the Master Fishmonger Standard (MFS), a new accreditation that recognises a greater level of expertise and skill within the industry.
As this year’s vice-president of the National Federation of Fishmongers (he will be president next year) Giles received his award from Princess Anne at a ceremony held at Fishmongers Hall in London, the home of the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers, that has developed the new MFS accreditation along with the National Federation of Fishmongers, Seafish and Seafood School at Billingsgate.
“Not many people will have a national Master Fishmonger on their doorstep, but we have one here in Clitheroe,” says Giles with a smile.
During her speech at the awards ceremony Princess Anne, who was prime warden of the Fishmonger’s Company, highlighted the importance of sustainability and how the industry was changing: “Fishmongers face customers who I hope, increasingly value that personal relationship and the ability to discover a great deal more about what they are buying, what has been caught, where it has been caught and how it should be cooked,” said the Princess Royal.
Speaking from his shop on Wellgate, Giles agreed adding: “We are in our 30th year here and over the years we have seen a change in the way people buy fish.
“We do a lot more preparation and filleting now than we used to do as people don’t tend to like eating fish on the bone these days. They like it in an easy to use form,” says Giles, a former chef, who worked locally at Northcote and the Ritz in London, before joining his late father in the fishmongers business.
“We also give a lot more cooking advice and my catering background helps towards that. We are a traditional fishmongers and as such we can have 50 or 60 different varieties of fish – we provide a very specialist service.”
While the majority of Wellgate’s produce is retailed to the public (the shop is one of the most popular fishmongers in the North West) Wellgate Fisheries and Smokehouse supplies a few local restaurants including Northcote, the Freemasons and the Inn at Whitewell.
With its own smokehouse, Giles and his team smoke their own salmon in the in-house kiln. Using the finest salmon from Scotland and the Faroe Isles, the smoking process takes seven days to reach perfection.
Giles begins by cutting the salmon and prepares it for curing with a mix of salt and sugar. The salmon is then cured for two days, before drying ready to smoke.
“There is a real art to it,” says Giles, who prepares the kiln for smoking the fish, which could be anything up to 36 hours depending on the outside temperature and weather conditions.
The purpose built smoker can take a mixed quantity of salmon, which is smoked over whisky oaked cask and alder wood chips.
“Modern smokers are designed to produce at speed but we do everything by hand for as long as it takes.”
Once the salmon is smoked, it is then matured in the fridge for between two and three days.
Giles’ four-strong team at Wellgate now includes Christina Kay, previously of Out of the Deep at Huntleys, who has three decades of experience in the industry, and is a fifth generation fishmonger.
“Between us we have lots of experience,” says Giles, whose philosophy is to buy only the very best quality fish and shellfish available from around the British coastline and beyond.
Forty two years ago Giles’ father Ian started with a stall on Clitheroe market but Giles gave that up over three years ago to concentrate on the shop and smokehouse – a move that has seen the business go from strength to strength.
“As an independent fishmongers I have the ability to purchase my fish from a number of different suppliers based around the country. Responsibly sourced seasonal offerings can include anything from wild Morecambe bay sea bass and brown shrimps, Lune estuary whitebait, wild salmon and sea trout to Dorset crabs and native lobsters.”
Over the years Giles has also honed his skills to such an extent he is recognised as one of the best in the industry: “To receive the Master Fishmonger Standard is an honour. It means a lot to me and my business as there are so few of us. Fishmongers who hold the standard can showcase their craftsmanship – and their commitment to social and environmental responsibility.”
Wellgate Fisheries
5 Wellgate
Clitheroe BB7 2DS
01200 423511
wellgatefisheries@gmail.com
