Sustainability: Seafood issues faced by pubs

"Pubs should use more sustainable fish species."

"Pollacks?"

"No, it's true."

Responsible sourcing is clearly an issue of increasing importance both with pub and restaurant operators, and with their customers. However, there is also a certain lack of clarity about just where any resistance to change lies.

Most chefs will insist that innate consumer conservatism is what makes diners reluctant to widen their repertoire much beyond cod or haddock. However, suppliers such as M&J Seafood, the fresh fish arm of Brakes, believe that much of the caution lies with chefs, rather than customers.

"Operators will tell us that customers are reluctant to try unfamiliar species," says James Bristow, M&J marketing manager. "In fact, there's plenty of evidence to the contrary. The growth in sales of pollack for example, suggests that consumers will be adventurous if they're given the choice - especially when money is tight and there's accost implication."

M&J also points to the fact that many branded pub chains now simply describe fish & chips on the menu as 'battered white fish', allowing them to vary the species according to availability and hold costs steady. "When we first suggested it, the pub chains told us customers would never put up with it. In the event, there was barely a murmur."

M&J believes operators have more of a role to play in driving sustainability. To support its case, it has commissioned a new study, Sea of Change. More than 500 operators across the entire foodservice sector were surveyed, including a both M&J customers and those using other suppliers.

The report showed a strong misunderstanding of what sustainability actually means, with many operators equating it simply with good quality produce rather than protecting fish stocks for the long term.

The report found that pubs claim to consider sustainability issues when menu planning, but in fact score lowest on how much they admit to knowing when questioned about the detail.

While pubs said they are getting an increasing number of customer queries about the about the sustainability of fish and seafood on their menus, only a minority actually take this into account when ordering.

Mike Berthet, M&J group director fish and seafood says: "We very much see chefs as the gatekeepers of the seafood industry and we as suppliers, are the locksmiths. It's our responsibility to provide the support that chefs need to make informed, sustainable choices, and drive uptake amongst consumers.

"If we give them the knowledge and tools they need to educate their customers, then we can help slow down and reverse over fishing and bring commercial benefits to all."