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4 February 2014

London’s first certified sustainable traditional fish and chip shop

London Fish & Chips in Covent Garden, is the first traditional fish and chip shop in the capital to be MSC certified, proudly boasting the blue ‘Certified sustainable seafood’ ecolabel on its menus. The MSC label means that the fish is from a source which has been independently certified as sustainable, and that their purchase supports sustainable fishermen around the world.

British tradition, from foreign shores...

"Our livelihood, our entire business relies on high quality sustainable fish. I’m not prepared to accept anything other than the best for my customers." Said director, Gary Arnold, "MSC is the most stringent standard for sustainability and traceability so our customers will know that their fish can be traced right back to a certified sustainable source. That’s important to me and for the long-term success of not just my fish and chip shops, but fish and chip shops everywhere."

Read Gary's Huffington Post article on why he chose MSC.

James Simpson from the MSC welcomed the certification: "By getting their shop in Covent Garden MSC certified, London Fish & Chips are bringing certified sustainable fish to people in the heart of the Capital. Customers increasingly want to feel confident that they making a responsible choice when they eat fish, and the director and his team are giving exactly that confidence by adding the MSC ecolabel to their menu."

Fish and chip facts

  • The UK has an estimated 10,500 fish and chip shops and on any Friday, one in five takeaways are from the chippy.
  • In Dickensian Britain, fried fish weren't served with chips but bread or baked potatoes.
  • An estimated 229 million portions of fried fish are sold in the UK every year.
    It was the only takeaway food not rationed during the Second World War.
  • The UK's favourite fish choice is cod, which accounts for six out of 10 portions sold. Haddock comes in second, at 25 per cent. The remaining 13.5 per cent includes hake, halibut, plaice, pollock and sole.
  • One out of every four British potatoes – 1.25 million tons every year – ends life as a chip.

More Information

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