Our fish policy

Our oceans are suffering from depleted stocks of fish as a result of destructive over-fishing and commercial fishing methods – at least 70% of the world’s fish stocks are over-fished, and some stocks are at such low levels that they are in danger of collapse. In the North Sea alone, many once plentiful species such as cod, common skate, bluefin tuna and plaice are now over-fished, or in some cases, virtually extinct. A staggering one third of all fish caught globally is thrown overboard. The use of massive trawler nets, which catch everything in their path, are extremely damaging to marine habitats and species, such as dolphins and seals.

We have an extremely strict fish buying policy – we never buy endangered species or fish in its breeding season. We were one of the first restaurants in the UK to pass an audit by the Marine Stewardship Council and to stock their approved fish on our menu. We started doing this in May 2008 when we were granted permission to use their logo on our menus when we purchase fish from their fisheries. We work closely with our fish supplier to find species of wild and farmed fish that meet our strict standards on sustainability. We try to use lesser-known species of non-endangered fish like grey mullet and herring to preserve stock levels of species that are severely depleted (e.g. cod, tuna and haddock).

For full details of what is good to eat, and what is not, see the Marine Conservation Society’s list at www.fishonline.org