4am on a Wednesday in September
Still dark, the day boats are returning to Brixham harbour. The fish are unloaded and graded in preparation to be sold. Premier Fish are daily buyers at Brixham market. The fish are locally caught and perfect for sea to plate dining. The quality is pristine because the majority of boats are only out to sea for one day.
It is here that Premier Fish’s operation kicks into gear. Speed and quality are key to helping restaurants on the south coast of the UK bring sea to plate dining to their customers. They’ve been in the game for over 25 years, and are exceptional at what they do.
6am
6am, Brixham Market
The online auction begins. Premier Fish – an independent fishmonger from the South West of England – prepare to bid like they do every morning. They only buy an E-grade plus product, the best you can get at the market.
Premier Fish know that this time of year is the best time to buy plaice on the south coast. Plaice go out of season in November, but they’re at their prime now. Importantly, chefs depend on Premier Fish’s knowledge to help shape their menus.
9am, Return to Premier Fish
Once purchasing is complete, the driver returns to Premier Fish’s depot in Salisbury. It’s here that between 15-20 tonnes of fish is processed each week. The team cuts and pin bones the fish by hand and groups them in boxes to prepare for customer orders.
Over at Rockwater on Branksome beach, Head Chef Chris Lewis and his team of chefs are flying. There are few better places on a sunny day than the two restaurant terraces that overlook the ocean. Today, the restaurant is buzzing.
Rockwater buys seasonal ingredients that are fresh that day. They get the majority of their fish from Premier Fish, and Chris uses the Fresho app to place his order. Next on the catch of the day specials board: locally caught plaice.
Back at Premier Fish, they receive the orders on Fresho and begin to process them as the customers want. Rockwater’s preference is for plaice to arrive with the dark skin off and trimmed.
Then, the night team jumps on the order and gets it ready for Premier Fish’s drivers who arrive in the early hours to deliver to Rockwater.
Early next morning: Rockwater Delivery
Premier Fish delivers the order to Rockwater. This streamlined, efficient ordering process means that Head Chef Chris and his team have time to prepare the fish ahead of lunch service.
For Chris, this means he can concentrate on all his other duties like preparing new menus and supporting his team of chefs.
The sea to plate process
In less than 24 hours, the fish is picked up from Brixham Market, prepared to order in the depot, and delivered to the customers.
The result is a beautifully seared, locally caught catch of the day: plaice served with crushed potatoes, kale and a caper butter. Clearly, it’s a dish that is loved by Rockwater’s customers.
Undoubtedly, delivering this level of service is hard. The hours are long, and the conditions are tough. Often, as consumers we don’t appreciate the effort and sacrifice that goes on behind the scenes. When you take a step back and follow the process, you have to take your hat off to the people who make this possible.
Lastly, thanks to Premier Fish and Rockwater for making this film happen.
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