Billingsgate Market message
How aquaculture industry can support market’s education programme
THE Seafood School at Billingsgate delivers a number of programmes for the industry, general public and for the education of young people, in all things fish and shellfish. Our focus is to educate people from all backgrounds and ages about the choosing, preparation, cooking and storing of sustainable seafood, and we include aquaculture as an important part of that education.
We still, surprisingly, find resistance to the use of farmed product right across the board. Some chefs tend to love using fresh wild fish and the general public – in the main- are still suspicious and confused about the messages that are promoted in the media about fish farming.
Recently, we had a couple on a course that had ‘seen a film about farmed fish 10 years ago’ and they were so concerned about the negativity portrayed that they were put off trying it again.
We explained that 10 years ago is the equivalent of the Middle Ages in farming practices and encouraged them to examine the whole subject again.
Presenting aquaculture in a positive light, along with all the excellent work being done to address issues, is not headline grabbing news.
Many join our courses thinking farmed product is not sustainable, damaging to the environment and full of antibiotics and chemicals.
Just touching the tip of the iceberg, we seek to address many of these concerns and promote best quality farmed product.
We make a point of using some farmed product in all our courses to enable us to discuss the importance of this essential food source.
During our market visit we point out the increasing range of farmed product: Atlantic salmon, bass, bream, trout, turbot, halibut, sole, barramundi, prawns and seaweeds, to name a few.
Well over half of the product available at Billingsgate comes from farmed sources and it is growing.
We keep abreast of fish farming techniques by working with George Hide, who heads up the aquaculture programme at Sparsholt College. He has lectured on fish farming for many years and is passionate about the importance of this food source to feed an expanding global population.
We run a monthly Sustain Course for chefs and caterers that includes an early morning visit to Billingsgate Market and a breakfast showcasing MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) Manx kippers.
The group are taken through a couple of presentations talking about MSC and, importantly, ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) and other groups promoting aquaculture.
We then do a blind tasting of some farmed and wild product and request feedback. We are always amazed at how many from the food industry prefer the farmed product and struggle to tell the difference – often getting it wrong!
When it comes to sea bass, and recent concerns over the sustainability of wild caught product, we display two farmed fish: a 4-6kg and a 1.5kg. Most think that the larger fish is wild caught and automatically choose it as the best option.
Working with the fish and fish farming industry is very important to us. If anyone is interested in supporting our aquaculture programme by offering free farmed product or coming to Billingsgate to present to our industry chefs, we would welcome you with open arms.
Please contact CJ Jackson or Stewart McQueen at admin@seafoodtraining.org
“We are always amazed at how many from the food industry prefer the farmed product”