Junior Bellamy, inventor of battered frozen fish

Former managing director of Caledonian Seafood and inventor of frozen battered fish, Byron Junior Boyd Bellamy, has died aged 87.

The second of three children for Byron and Muriel Bellamy from Fulstow near Grimsby, Junior was born into a family and a town with fishing at its core.

His early years were spent at the village school, then he attended St Hugh’s preparatory school in Lincolnshire.

However, it was time spent at home during holidays when he developed a lifelong passion for shooting and fishing.

At the age of 11, Junior’s mother died in Switzerland following a long illness. Her death and his grief profoundly affected him from then on.

Following a family move to Aberdeen, Junior continued his schooling at Robert Gordon’s College.

The family home – Holmwood, on Seafield Road – is now the Palm Court Hotel.

Mr Bellamy Sr ran a fish factory and Junior persuaded his dad to let him work there in the morning, and study for his Highers in the afternoon.

After leaving school he did two years’ National Service with the RAF.

After learning the ropes on the fish market and in the factory, Junior’s father sold the business to Ross’s Fish.

Junior was appointed managing director, but became disillusioned by the oversight from the company headquarters so made plans to start his own fish processing business.

Caledonian Seafoods Limited was launched in Torry. He then moved his company to Mintlaw, into a converted egg-packing station, as Peterhead had become the main fish port in the north-east.

Over the course of his lifetime in the fish trade he employed around 1,000 people.

He also held the patent and is credited with inventing a unique form of batter for frozen fish.

The Campbell’s Soup Company is among those who cited Junior’s patented formula in their products in the 1990s.

After a divorce from his first wife Margaret, Junior married Jane Stratton on July 1 1972. He had two children, Tania and Dale, during his first marriage, and Eliza and Robyn with Jane.

Jane and Junior celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in July. He spent his retirement as a proud papa to his 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

PATENT: Junior Bellamy.