Fresh fish Outlook Dec 2012......
Tom, The Skipper of Day Boat 'Jessica Lynn'
SALMON
(M&J Seafood to hold Salmon prices until January 2013)
Overall Salmon prices are rising due to the Christmas period. 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
Prices are expected to increase further over the next few weeks due to increased demand accross Europe, Russia, Germany, France, Netherlands and the UK. According to Norwegien suppliers there will be low volumes of spot Salmon available until late March 2013.
Scottish Salmon
With Amoebic Gill Infection still an issue, the 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 driving prices up from the levels seen over the summer. Scottish lays a big part on menu descriptions
.
WHITEFISH
Cod and Haddock are in good supply and steady pricing as we head into Christmas. If the weather holds now we should see stability. Good supplies of Hake and fair quantities of Pollack have generated good exposure on the specials boards.
SEA BASS & BREAM
Stable availability and prices are forecast for the most part with the exception of a possible blip over the week of Christmas. Farmed Mediterranean species and Welsh farmed Sea Bass should be in good supply.
UK FARMED RAINBOW TROUT
We have a great supply of Rainbow Trout sourced from a farm on the Hampshire / Wiltshire border and fed by the river Avon. Whole fish are supplied either round or gutted and gilled (mainly 8oz to 16oz) and further processed as fillets – plain or butterflies, as well as canoed whole fish and smoked fillets. From Scotland we also have a great source of top quality Sea Reared Rainbows form 1kg to 4kg, making them ideal for cutting thick juicy suprêmes.
FLATFISH
Plaice are now rapidly filling with roe as we are in the spawning season (not the males). This normally lasts for a couple of months until the fish then shoot their roe and become very thin; they will then start to plump up around late February. Lemon Soles are good quality at the moment but landings have been very sporadic and traditionally prices rise as we approach Christmas. We have seen increased landings on Brill and Turbot recently.
EXOTICS
There has been a slight rise in price again this week due to very warm weather conditions (if the water gets too warm, the Tuna swims to deeper waters and therefore avades capture). Tuna prices will steadlily get back to the market price expected for this time of year and should fully stabilise by the end of the month. We do not expect any futher cyclones, as we had last month, to disrupt supply.
SCALLOPS
Available in various formats – from hand-dived Scallops in shell from divers around the coast from Brixham to Scotland, to dry-cut roe-on Scallop meat packed in 1kg or 2kg tubs. We also supply American roeless meat; these sweet juicy Scallops are shucked at sea and ideal for recipes where the roe is not required, so giving you a kilo of pure Scallop meat in each tub.
LOBSTERS
Canadian Lobsters are superb quality at the moment, full of meat and in rock-hard shells.
DAY BOAT LANDINGS
We have great day boat landings from local vessels the
Jessica Lynn and Ellie Jean from Poole who are landing some stunning species like Dover Soles, Brill, Turbot and Ray Wings. All landed direct to our Wimborne branch within an hour of them reaching the quayside in Poole.
We also have some of the best quality slush-iced tagged wild Bass you can buy, all caught by the Skin Deeper and Shaman fishing out of Weymouth. This year’s season seems to be running longer than previous years.
For any more information, please fell free to get in touch!
andrewss@mjseafoods.co.uk
