Trio of chippies lead campaign championing health benefits of fish
Fry Magazine / By Helen Edmonds / 8 January 2025
Three fish and chip shops are supporting a new industry campaign to encourage businesses to shout about the health benefits of eating fish and shellfish.
Towngate Fisheries in Yorkshire, Fish City in Belfast, and Something Else Fishy in Dorset are all getting behind Seafish’s new Seafood for Life initiative, which champions the benefits of fish and shellfish while celebrating industry best practice.
They hope to inspire others in hospitality to weave health-focused messaging into their customer engagement by highlighting seafood as a nutritious choice.
Profiles of the three businesses are featured in the health section of the Seafood for Life web hub, alongside a blog by registered dietician Juliet Kellow outlining 10 healthy reasons to eat more seafood in 2025. There is an accompanying downloadable factsheet.
Explaining his rationale for promoting the healthy eating aspects of fish in his fish and chip shop, Towngate Fisheries owner Mark Drummond, said: “One out of 10 customers might be interested in health, but if you can get to that extra 10% of customers, that can mean the difference between a business breaking even or making a good profit.”
John Lavery, owner of Fish City, said: “Fish is a healthy, natural protein, often with little or no processing. Government guidelines recommend a minimum of two portions per week, so I believe, from a promotional point of view, this provides an opportunity we should focus on.”
Keen to get more restaurants and takeaways showcasing the wide range of benefits seafood has to offer, Nicki Else, who runs Something Else Fishy, adds: “I would encourage other businesses to do something like this because it builds loyalty from your customers – they trust you because you are knowledgeable.”
Talking about the campaign, Seafish chief executive Marcus Coleman said: “The aim of Seafood for Life is to showcase the benefits of seafood and the good work of the UK industry that produces it. We want to help businesses have informed conversations with their customers that encourage them to eat more fish and shellfish.
“As we begin 2025, we know many people are thinking about ways to be a bit healthier, so we’ve kicked off the year with a focus on the nutritional benefits of seafood. We’re highlighting great examples of businesses which are already successfully promoting the health aspects of their dishes and offering resources for the industry which we hope will inspire and inform their own activities.”