Where to Buy the Best Seafood in the North East
L Robson & Sons
Ask anyone where to find the best kippers in the country and they’ll likely say L Robson & Sons. Head to Craster Harbour where you’ll be greeted by a salty breeze mingled with the tang of the traditional smokery. The fish are oak-smoked in the original smokehouses, producing traditional kippers worthy of their far-reaching reputation. Serve simply – grilled and with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Delicious.
Haven Hill, Craster NE66 3TR
01665 576223
www.kipper.co.uk
Phil’s Plaice
Perched on North Shields Fish Quay, Phil’s Plaice offers a fine selection of locally-sourced fresh fish (in fact, it’s so fresh that they guarantee the seafood gets from the quay to the counter in under ten minutes!). Novice at cooking fish? Fret not – expert fishmongers here are always on hand to help select, prepare and package the best catch to be cooked at home.
3 Cliffords Fort, North Shields NE30 1JE
0191 257 1555
Lindisfarne Oysters
Husband and wife team John and Heather Sutherland raise high-quality oysters from their tiny beginnings in the hatcheries, out in the pure waters surrounding Lindisfarne where they are nurtured through a four year maturation period before being carefully sorted and packed into chilled boxes and delivered direct to your door. It doesn’t get fresher than that.
Belford
01668 213870
www.lindisfarneoysters.co.uk
Swallow Fish
The Swallow Fish team have followed the same age-old smoking process since opening their doors back in 1843 (if it ain’t broke…). Alongside their smoked kippers, there’s a selection of locally-caught lobster, oysters, crab and other shellfish fresh from the North Sea.
2 South Street, Seahouses NE68 7RB
01665 721052
www.swallowfish.co.uk
Saltwater Fish Co
This place is a must-visit for seafood lovers. Located in Fenwick Food Hall, Saltwater Fish Co. operates as both a fishmonger and fishbar with a ‘we cook what we sell, we sell what we cook’ philosophy. The choice is yours; pull up a stool and enjoy simple, seafood cooked to order or buy fresh fish from the counter to cook at home.
Fenwick Food Hall, Northumberland Street, Newcastle NE1 7AF
01665 576223
www.saltwaterfish.co.uk
Creel Fish CLUB
The brainchild of Northumberland Seafood, Creel Fish Club is a box scheme offering freshly caught seafood to try and reduce the strain off overfished stocks and to introduce customers to different types of seafood. Order sustainable, locally-caught seafood on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis to a convenient collection point – it doesn’t get fresher than that.
Amble
01665 713580
www.northumberlandseafood.co.uk/creel-fish-club
Hodgson Fish
Since opening in 1916, Hodgson Fish has continued to supply the finest and freshest seafood to customers across the North East. They count Michelin-starred chefs Tommy Banks and James Close among their clientele, so you know this is a plaice of the highest calibre (forgive us).
Whitby Street, Hartlepool TS24 7AD
01429 299007
www.hodgsonfish.co.uk
Latimer’s Seafood
This family-run fishmonger has a well-deserved reputation for sourcing the finest fish in the North East. Their fish counter is brimming with locally-caught, native seafood landed that day from the shores of Eyemouth, Blyth, North Shields and Whitby. Not sure what to go for? The ‘Today’s Catch’ chalkboard is a good place to start, and the staff at Latimer’s are more than happy to share their expertise on how best to cook it.
Shell Hill, Bents Road, Whitburn, Sunderland SR6 7NT
0191 529 2200
www.latimers.com
