SALMON
As Christmas approaches the price of Salmon begins to rise. This is driven by high demand from Salmon smokers to process and freeze down smoked Salmon for the European supermarkets, and increased demand from foodservice. Norwegian Salmon France and Russia continue to take significant amounts of Norwegain Salmon, which has led to the increase we are now experiencing on price and is also fuelled by the pre-Christmas demand for frozen Salmon suprêmes into the retail sector. We do not expect to see any let up on this untill late January.
Scottish Salmon
With sporadic outbreaks of Amoebic Gill Infection, Scottish Salmon farms have been harvesting more quickly than usual and are forecasting a lack of larger fish (6-8kg) as we go into December and the New Year. USA sales of Scottish Salmon remain extremely buoyant and this is helping drive prices up from the summer levels. Scottish provenance still plays a big part on menu descriptions.
WHITEFISH
We should see good availability of Cod and Haddock during November as Iceland and Norway are fully into their season. Prices should stay stable before starting to rise towards Christmas as it is seasonally expected due to reduced landings at this time of year. Alaskan Pollock prices may start to rise due to availability issues.
Hake availability and pricing is expected to remain stable for the foreseeable future.
LINE-CAUGHT CORNISH FISH
We now have a regular supply from North Cornwall of day boat line caught fish species; from fantastic quality jig and line Squid, line-caught Cod as well as tagged wild Bass and Pollock. This small community of fishermen try whenever possible to "fish to order", meaning the quality is always fantastic and the fish will be no more than 24 hours old from catch to dispatch.
SEA BASS & BREAM
This is now the low season in Europe for Bass and Bream so we can expect prices to be stable and volumes to be good. Bream is going to feature much more in 2013 as chefs look for opportunities to ring the changes on their menus and also take advantage of the more competitively priced fish, either passing this on to their customers or using it to increase their kitchen GP%.
UK FARMED ARCTIC CHAR
Local to our Wimborne branch we have a supplier of fantastic quality Arctic Char. The current owners have been building the business since 1986 and at any one time have a biomass in the ponds of approx 8 tons. Fish are supplied from a plate size 300g up to fish of 1.5kg for producing suprêmes. The farm is fed by their own borehole water that is naturally pure and chiled making it ideal for rearing Char.
FLATFISH
Availability should be fairly stable on Plaice and Lemon Soles for November. We are however entering the spawning season for Plaice which will now be in roe over the coming weeks. We are also still getting daily landings from the
Jessica Lynn, a small day boat fishing out of Poole and landing us stunning quality Dover Soles, Brill and Turbots on a daily basis.
EXOTICS Eid holiday period will be over at the end of October. Tuna prices are expected to rise over the next few weeks until more fish has been caught and is in the system. Prices are expected to stabilise by the end of the month. There are no expected availability issues on any other exotic species.
LOBSTER
Good harvests in Canada during November mean that there will be plentiful supply going into December. They will have also finished moulting which means a superb quality, hard-shell Lobster full of meat. 