Partner release: Direct Seafoods launches its Certified Sustainable Range

Oct 04, 2012

Partner release: Ensuring that supplies of fish and seafood are harvested from sustainable stocks often proves a major headache for chefs and caterers.  In an attempt to ease this burden on busy professional kitchens, Direct Seafoods will this month launch its new Certified Sustainable Range of products.

Direct Seafoods, the United Kingdom’s biggest supplier of fresh fish to the catering industry, identified that many restaurants nationwide were keen to improve their sourcing policies but were not sure how to go about it in the most efficient manner.  To offer a solution, the company spent more than a year creating a product line that comprises a large number of independently-certified wild and farmed species in the formats most desired by chefs.

As well as the most comprehensive range of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified products available to UK caterers, the Certified Sustainable Range also includes the first prawns in the UK market to be certified under the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s (GAA) Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) programme.

BAP certification means the prawns have been harvested from farms that produce a wholesome product, farmed with respect for the environment, workers and their communities as well as for the animals themselves.

Direct Seafoods’ Group Sustainability Director, Laky Zervudachi, said: “There was a clear gap in the market.  No chef wants to source fish taken from at-risk stocks, but staying abreast of what is and what isn’t sustainable can be a laborious task.  Through this new Certified Sustainable Range, we are playing our part and ensuring chefs have a go-to resource of sustainable seafood. 

“The seafood industry is evolving at an unprecedented rate and sustainable certification is one of the biggest drivers for change.  Our hope is that our new range will join the dots and inspire chefs to become more engaged with sustainability.  We further believe that by putting certified products on their menus, chefs will encourage more fisheries and fish farms to become certified as sustainable by independent certifiers.  It’s about contributing to a commercial environment that champions best practice throughout the supply chain.”

To mark the launch of its new Certified Sustainable Range, Direct Seafoods’ entire customer base will be sent a brochure highlighting the many certified products already available.  Zervudachi anticipates the range will become even larger as more fisheries and fish farms secure certification and as certification standards broaden their coverage.

About Direct Seafoods

Direct Seafoods is the UK’s biggest supplier of fresh fish to the catering industry. We supply Michelin-starred restaurants, hotels, pubs, retail outlets, educational institutions, hospitals and contract caterers across the country from our eight depots: Daily Fish Supplies – London, Taylor’s of Newcastle, Neve Fleetwood, Direct Seafoods London, Direct Seafoods Colchester, Southbank Fresh Fish – London, Kingfisher Brixham and Direct Seafoods Scotland.

The majority of these depots are located on the coast to take full advantage of the local fish auctions. Being there day-in and day-out, with prior knowledge of landings, enables us to identify and select the best fresh fish available. We deliver nationally six days a week and no order is too large or too small.