Pittenweem fisheries - Surrey.

"Bringing you the best from Britains Coast, One Hook at a time."
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FAQ

 

                                                           

Q: About Us?
A: Pittenweem is one of Scotland's few remaining fishing villages on the Fife coast and it is a sad fact that most of the seafood from this area is sold to Europe.
 
After a trip to Fife, Mary and Ian were frustrated that they could not buy equally tasty fish in Surrey. This passion for good quality Seafood has grown into Pittenweem Fisheries - Surrey. We have been fortunate enough to feature in the Evening Standard  the Daily Telegraph and The Times and also the Observer Food monthly guide, where we were praised highly for fresh Seafood. We are also featured in The New English table by Rose Prince.
 
Our aim as a small family run business is to introduce you to some of the fine Seafood that is available from around the UK, along with selected catches from around the world.We offer delivery from quayside to your door in under 24 hours and pride ourselves on being one of the few who can offer delivery of Live Crab and Lobster.And although we would prefer you sampled the really great taste of fresh seafood, our small frozen range is chosen with the same care that we chose our fresh.
Q: Do you have a shop and why so few deliveries ? 
A: We are purely a Home delivery company. We have had many conversations about opening a store but feel that it would defeat our prime goal to supply the freshest Seafood available, as shops need to hold stock for display and sale.
 
Mary and I believe that it is because of the need to supply Supermarkets and Fish processors, it has brought us to the current situation of decreasing fish stocks. Currently Supermarket fish counters throw away approx a thousand pounds of fish every week.They know they will lose money but have to provide the the one stop shop. A balance needs to be struck.
 
Mary and I have taken the iniative and limited our deliveries to twice a month, this ensures that we buy seafood only when requested and not just to fill a display cabinet. You can be sure that your seafood is "just caught" and damage to stocks are limited.
This may not be the answer, but surely it's better than what we have presently?
 
Q: Where do you deliver and what is the delivery charge?
A: We currently offer a free delivery service to Surrey.
We can also deliver to Berkshire and Hampshire for which we have to charge £5.00. This is waived for orders over £50.00.
We do not offer a Postal / Courier service to the Uk as we have not found a satifactory carrier, where we could ensure that our product would reach you in best condition.
Q: Where does my Seafood come from and is it sustainable?
A: Although a very small company we ensure that we know were all our products were caught and when, this information is passed onto you the customer via our labeling.
We also only sell seafood which is from sustainable stocks, we have  indicated the spawning dates for most of the products on our pages which gives some guide as when it should avoided where possible, however due to regulations governing the alloted days at sea, fishermen must fish through these seasons to be financially viable.
This therefore places the responsibility on you the consumer to change to seasonal dinning.
Q: What if something is wrong with my order?
A: We have all got use to instant availability of our food. However, most trawlermen will tell you getting a good catch is never guaranteed. Because of this we may not always be able to fulfill your order, in this instance we will contact you at the earliest possible time and a inform you of the options available.
If you discover on delivery any problems with your order please contact us straight away, our motto is "If you enjoy our seafood tell your friends if you don't then tell us!"
Q: How should I store my order?
A: Keeping your Seafood.

Live lobsters & Crab.
Store in the bottom of the fridge covered with a damp cloth. Do not be tempted to put them in a container filled with tap water, this will kill them.

Cooked lobster & Crab.
Store in the fridge & eat within 3 days or freeze immediately if you want to eat it later.

Live Cockles, Clams & Mussels, Oysters.
Store in the bottom of the fridge no lower than 4 C (Oysters need to be cupped side down) and cover with a damp cloth, eat within 2 days of receipt. DO NOT immerse in water. Discard cockles, clams & mussels that do not close when tapped sharply once they are at room temperature. Cook within 24 hours discarding any that have not opened and either eat or freeze. Oysters are usually eaten raw.

Fresh fish.
Store in fridge & eat within 3 days or freeze immediately if you want to eat it later.

Frozen fish & Shellfish.
Put in freezer as soon as possible. fully cooked foods can be frozen and used within one month to get the maximum taste and nutrition. The recommended frozen shelf life for fish and shellfish in a domestic freezer;


Oily fish (herring, salmon, mackerel, etc.) 4 months
White fish, (cod, haddock, etc.) 8 months
Flat fish, (sole, place, etc.) 10 months
Prawns, lobster, crab. 6 months
Clams, oysters. 4 months
 
However we would recommend consuming any frozen Seafood within the month.
Why ?
Because no matter how fast or what procedure is used Mary and I feel that Fresh is best!.
Freezing over long periods of time will diminish both the taste & texture of seafood.
But thats just our opinion!