Plans to claw back tourists by making Brid a lobster capital
TOURISM BENEFITS OF SHELLFISH STRATEGY
MOVES are underway to officially promote Bridington as the Lobster Capital of Europe.
Academics at the University of Hull believe the resort could attract thousands of new visitors by making the most of its unique lobster fishery.
They say adopting marketing techniques used by similar American and Canadian fishing ports could put Bridlington on the global tourism map with more festivals and merchandising.
And they want cafés and restaurants in the town to start putting lobster landed in Bridlington Harbour on the menu.
For none of the 300 tonnes of shellfish landed there every year is actually available to eat locally.
Instead, nearly all of the lobsters caught off Bridlington Bay are exported to Spain and France, while those that are cooked and served in the town are imported from other UK wholesalers.
Peter Andrews, a lecturer in marketing at the university’s Business School, said: “Having Bridlington known as the Lobster Capital of Europe would be a major opportunity for the region and we believe it’s an opportunity that can be realised.”
Along with colleague Dr David Harness, he has spent the past two years developing the proposed new marketing campaign for the town, working with key figures from the Bridlington community and, in particular, the fishing fleet.
Looking beyond a world hit by Covid-19, Mr Andrews added: “Food and culinary tourism is booming and the UK is the only place in the world that does not link lobsters with tourism.
“In other parts of the world, it’s a main reason why people decide to go to certain places, just to sample the local lobsters caught there.
“Bridlington is extremely lucky to have such a rich and unique resource literally on its doorstep that is so highly valued.
“Once Covid-19 is over, tourism will no longer be on hold and the competition between destinations will be more intense than ever, so this is a major opportunity to build a truly visionary offer.
“You can’t afford to think small. Promoting Bridlington as the Lobster Capital of Europe is all about thinking big.”
He said town leaders should consider copying some other lobster-based tourist destinatons in North America, from creating huge lobster sculptures for visitors to take selfies with to making the shellfish an affordable option on local menus.
“In America and Canada, you can get a lobster brioche roll with mayo and a side salad for around £6, you can get lobster pizza, lobster mac’n’cheese, lobster fishcakes, lobster and chips, lobster with nachos. We need to see that sort of thing happening here.”
Speaking on a Zoom call launching the idea, chairman of the Bridlington Business Forum David Dowson said he believed people in the town would back the initiative.
He said: “We need to do this for the future of Bridlington.”
He also highlighted a new venuture by Bridlington skipper Neil Robson who is preparing to open a new lobster holding facility at the town’s Carnaby industrial estate.
It is aimed at supplying shellfish landed at Bridlington to the local retail market.
Mr Dowson said: “Neil is really top of his tree and full of enthusiam and with this investment he’s looking to provide a first-class facility for local retailers, which I think is fantastic because it’s never been done before on this scale.”
A major conference outlining the next steps in the marketing campaign is expected to held in the resort early in the New Year.
Councillor Victoria Aitken, portfolio holder for economic development and inward investment at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “As recent as last year, Bridlington Harbour saw around 300 tonnes of lobster land and its first-sale value stand at a staggering £4m.
“Also, the overall value of the fishing industry to the local economy is estimated at around £20m per year.
“These are eye-opening figures, but still there is little public knowledge of the worth of this industry both regionally and nationally, so the webinar was a fantastic opportunity to learn more and capitalise on our local lobster fishery, which proudly calls itself the biggest in Europe.”