The average Brit attempts a fish dish around once a month and so from today the huge team of over 1,000 trained fishmongers at Morrisons will be at the heart of a simple mission: tempt Brits to the fish counter with the best tasting seafood, friendly expertise and same great value.
The in-store changes have started with a total makeover of all Morrisons fish, from the counter to the shelf. Customers will now have 425 lines of seafood to get hooked on, along with an array of 50 different fish varieties across the year, and the retailer will take the fear out of fish with some great new offerings.
These new features include pre-boned and skinned fish which is ready to go, bake in a bag ‘no touch’ options and ready-prepared meals all set to go in oven trays, as well as old favourites like hiring fish kettles for free . You can also now buy pre-priced portions of fish favourites to avoid any confusing by-the-kilo pricing. Whatever worries are stopping you from buying fish, Morrisons has it covered.
The Morrisons mission will also bring stores closer to source than ever before as the supermarket opens its own factory in the port town of Grimsby. As the only supermarket in the country to own a seafood site, Morrisons is unique in buying direct from the quayside or farm to personally ensure the quality and freshness of its fish. Not only is the factory supplying superb fresh fish to Morrisons customers, it will also create around 160 jobs in the local area.
The in-store fish gurusMorrisons fishmongers aren’t just there to prepare and serve, they can provide customers with all the information they need for a fantastic fish supper - from helping to select the right fish for them to offering expert recipe advice.
All Morrisons fishmongers are put through one of the most extensive training programmes in the industry, with 26 weeks of on-the-job training for new joiners. Every single fish counter has a highly-skilled colleague ready to cut, debone and skin any of the extensive range of fish sold in store. Morrisons is even sending its fishmongers to Billingsgate Market’s Seafood School to equip them with even more great seafood cooking tips.
New fish news
As well as a beautifully stocked fish counter, we’ll also be adding over 30 new products to our pre-packed fish range and improving more than 20. Morrisons will try to make cooking fish a doddle for customers with delicious ready-prepared seafood dishes served in oven-ready trays and bake in a bag fish with a choice of flavoured butters or rubs. There’s also a new and extended range of fishcake favourites, satisfying sauces, fish-tastic platters and terrines perfect for dazzling dinner guests.
Frank Green, head of seafood at Morrisons, said: “Morrisons has always been fantastic at fish, but today we unveil new products and even more investment in production and training to give customers a great range that is easy to shop.
“Top-quality products such as our Salmon, Spinach & Gruyere Fishcakes with a melting Gruyere centre and our improved Oak Smoked Salmon will help our more reticent shoppers try new ideas.
“We know that our customers find fish a bit daunting and that’s why we’re doing everything we can to try and make it as simple as possible for them to buy, cook and enjoy it.”
The new range launches in store on the 5th November with prices starting from as little as 99p.
[1] www.defra.gov.uk/news/2012/10/30/richard-benyon-backsfish-is-the-dish-campaign
[2] £20 refundable deposit