Holly, ivy and seafood

This Christmas, the shellfish industry has more reason than ever to target home consumers

One of the things people look forward to at Christmas �me is feas�ng, and seafood is an important part of the feast in many households. European tradi�ons, in par�cular, put seafood at front and centre of the menu. In Southern Italy, for example, Christmas Eve is celebrated with a seafood meal known as the Feast of the Seven Fishes (“Festa dei se�e pesci”). A similar feast, which generally features oysters and scallops amongst a host of other species, is eaten in France on the evening of 24 December, as the French celebrate Réveillon (“awakening”).

Eastern Europeans major on freshwater fish during the fes�ve season, with carp taking the place of honour on the tradi�onal Christmas Eve menu in many countries in the region.

Seafood sales generally soar in restaurants and retail in December, although this year, with Covid-19 restric�ons in place, the situa�on will be far from normal, par�cularly in the dining-out sector.

Fresh and smoked salmon feature heavily on UK fes�ve menus, but farmed shellfish also has a part to play and producers are hoping that sales will rally for the fes�ve season.

A major shellfish seller confided that orders are “well down” on last year, from the UK and France, especially for oysters and lobster, and this comes on top of a “very difficult” trading year for the sector.

However, Waitrose reports that sales of fresh oysters and mussels have increased by 74 per cent and 25 per cent compared to last year. They have also started selling Bri�sh clams.

If seafood usually sells itself at this �me of year as a result of people responding to tradi�on, it tends to need promo�ng for the other 11 months. Pop-up mussel and oyster bars are regulars at fes�vals and events, on seaside quays, and in town centres, and their presence was sadly missed during lockdowns.

Many small shellfish producers have turned to online pla�orms, selling via postal-delivery or home delivery this year, but whether this trend will con�nue once normality returns, is difficult to call.

Restaurants have also jumped on the bandwagon, with Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant for example delivering three-course meal kits and instruc�ons, one of which includes mussels. My local upmarket chippy recently added a splendid seafood pla�er to its local delivery offering, which will make a change from my usual lobster and chips!

Virtual events

During lockdown, a new trend for promoting all manner of food has emerged, in the form of tutored tas�ngs and cookery classes via the Internet, on Zoom (and other online pla�orms).

Seafood Scotland has held some successful sessions, bringing together seafood producers, chefs, journalists and influencers, with the aim of impar�ng new skills and knowledge to those able to publicise it through ar�cles or blogs. Par�cipants receive ingredients in advance, join the session at the appointed �me, then follow instruc�ons in real �me to produce the dish of the day, whilst being able