Chef Mitch Tonks’ Devon restaurant chain Rockfish and Scottish fish and chip shop The Bay have won joint MSC UK Foodservice Champion of the Year this evening in the MSC UK annual awards.
Fish and Chips at Weston Grove, in Chester, won MSC UK Social Media Hero of the Year for the personal and creative nature of their social media content.
For the first time the awards, which took place on October 20, 2022, and were sponsored by Seafood Scotland, were held in Scotland, at the Aberdeen Maritime Museum, in recognition of the region’s importance for sustainable fishing and the city’s strong links to the fishing industry.
The winner of MSC UK Fresh Fish Foodservice Supplier of the Year was Direct Seafoods while Brakes and M&J took home MSC UK Foodservice Wholesaler of the Year. This is the 9th year in a row one of the Sysco companies has won an award.
This year’s award was handmade by eco homeware company Rawr Home from crushed mussel and scallop shells from the MSC certified fisheries in Shetland which have featured in MSC’s recent Sustainable Seafood Week campaigns.
Accepting his award, Calum Richardson, owner of The Bay, in Stonehaven, Scotland, said: “It’s a great honour for myself and all of Team Bay to be awarded MSC foodservice champion of the year . “We were the first fish and chip shop in the world to put MSC Scottish haddock on the menu many years ago. We continue to support our industry and the Scottish fishing fleet in protecting fish for the future.”
Mitch said: “Our ambition at Rockfish is to promote the enjoyment of eating sustainable seafood and working with the MSC is part of that.
“Three years ago, we made a commitment to ensure that our menus consisted of only MSC certified seafood or locally caught species, where we know the details of the fishery and the boats that are catching the fish we cook. To be recognised by the MSC for this work is appreciated and hugely valued by everyone at Rockfish.”
Loren Hiller, MSC UK & Ireland Commercial Manager, said: “Both Rockfish and The Bay put sustainability at their heart of their businesses and they are equally passionate about locally sourced fresh fish.
“It is fantastic to have two incredibly worthy winners of our Foodservice Champion award, two businesses who have been absolute pioneers in bringing sustainable seafood to UK foodservice customers.
“And congratulations to Weston Grove who have put huge effort in supporting Sustainable Seafood Week. They continue to highlight the MSC blue ecolabel throughout the year in their content.”
Nominations were judged by an expert panel made up of chef CJ Jackson, formerly of the Billingsgate Seafood School, Marcus Coleman chief executive of Seafish, Dr Eleanor Adamson, Fisheries Programme Manager at the Fishmongers’ Company and Dr Bryce Stewart from the University of York.
David Cameron, Lord Provost of Aberdeen, gave a video welcome to the awards while Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, gave the keynote address also via video.
Notes to editors
About the MSC UK awards
The MSC UK Awards celebrate outstanding achievements and performance in the area of sustainable fish and seafood, across the entire UK business and industry spectrum.
Full list of winners in MSC UK awards 2022
MSC UK Supermarket of the Year 2022
Tesco
MSC UK Mid-size Store Retailer of the Year 2022
Lidl
MSC UK Fish Counter of the Year 2022
Waitrose & Partners
MSC UK Retail Supplier of the Year 2022
Lovering Foods
MSC UK Frozen Brand of the Year
Birds Eye
MSC UK Marketing Champion of the Year 2022
Waitrose & Partners
MSC UK Social Media Hero of the Year 2022
Fish and Chips at Weston Grove
MSC UK Foodservice Wholesaler of the Year 2022
Brakes and M&J
MSC UK Fresh Fish Foodservice Supplier of the Year 2022
Direct Seafoods
MSC UK Foodservice Champion of the Year 2022
The Bay
MSC UK Foodservice Champion of the Year 2022
Rockfish
MSC UK Product of the Year 2022
Hook, Line and Sinker Cornish Sardines with Mediterranean Marinade
MSC UK Ocean Leadership Award 2022
Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group
MSC UK Fishing Hero of the Year 2022
Will Treneer, Cornish Sardine fishery
MSC UK Newcomer of the Year 2022
Mindful Chef
MSC UK Online Brand of the Year 2022
Ocado
ASC UK Retailer of the Year
Sainsbury’s
ASC UK Retail Supplier of the Year
Mowi