"All the best chefs in Belfast get their fish from us as do all the Michelin Star restaurants in the province."

Today in N. Ireland there are currently less than 15 fishmongers in existence.  Busy lifestyles have created a modern day need for convenience stores and having everything under one roof.  This means that they days when a shopping trip consisted of a visit to your local butcher, fruit and veg shop and of course the fishmonger are becoming a distant memory.

The description of a fishmonger according to the Cambridge dictionary is “someone who sells fish, especially in a shop” (http://dictionary.
cambridge.org) however whilst true this does not fully represent the full spectrum of what a fishmonger does.

A specialist in the field, the fishmonger goes to all lengths to ensure that they have a full range of quality seafood.  This is despite the fact availability of produce is very much down to the whims of the weather.  The fishmonger will also go that extra mile for you, answering questions on seafood preparation and cooking as well as helping out with the preparation work such as boning, filleting and skinning the fish for you on request.

In this edition of Catch Shauna Grieve paid a visit to Ewing’s Seafood’s on the Shankill Road in order to interview Walter Ewing, one of the most well known and esteemed fishmongers in the industry.

How were you introduced to the industry?
My family have been working in the fishing industry for nearly 100 years so growing up I worked for my father in this very shop.  It was 1911 when my grandfather bought the shop on the Shankill Road and he and his family started the tradition which my boys, Warren and Crawford, and I have carried on.

What exactly do you do?
Our business can be divided into two sections; wholesale and retail.  We purchase fresh catch every day, some of it is sold in our shop, and the rest is filleted and packaged in our purpose built factory and distributed to various restaurants.  We have four vans on the road at the minute.

We sell a range of fish and shellfish and also produce Smoked Salmon.  We have a new smoker which has allowed us to increase the amount of Salmon we produce and we have also kept the traditional smoke house.

Where do you get your produce?
Most of our fish is bought from the ports of Portavogie, Donegal, and Kilkeel.  We also source some of our produce from Scotland.  In addition we buy Tuna from Sri Lanka and once a week Halibut arrives from Canada.

How fresh is your produce?
The freshest.  The fish are brought in on day boats and are delivered to the factory at dawn.  The fish are prepared and sold that day.  The shellfish are still alive when sold, so they don’t come any fresher than that.

What restaurants do you supply?
All the best chefs in Belfast get their fish from us as do all the Michelin star restaurants in the Province.  We supply an area stretching as far as Dungannon and Ballymena.  Customers include restaurants such as Shanks (owned by Robbie Millar), The Oriel (Barry Smyth), Restaurant Michael Deane (Michael Deane) and Cayenne, Paul Rankin’s top restaurant.

Salmon for the Enterprise’s 1st Class dining car (Belfast-Dublin train), and the judging panel who tasted it said it was the best Salmon they had ever tasted.

Do you have any awards?
We were awarded the ‘Bridgestone Best in Ireland’ Award in 2002, 2003 and 2004.  We were also included in the Rick Stein ‘Seafood Hero’s’ guide in 2003 and we have an ISA Award for monitoring quality and safety world wide.

Do you have any specialties?
Our Smoked Salmon is renowned across the Province.  I still use my grandfather’s secret recipe for curing and the original smoke house for some of our long standing customers.  After the fish has been salted, washed and hung out to try overnight we light the fire in the smokehouse.  Unfortunately if it gets wet, then what might usually take two days to smoke may take three – it’s not an exact science.  Mind you we have been doing it for a long time and experience is the key ingredient.

How has the shop changed since 1911?
In 2000 I completed a £200,000 renovation and extension of the old premises after purchasing land behind it.  We left many of the original pieces such as the old smoke house and the terrazzo Italian marble floor and slab which I remember being there as a boy.  We now have a new factory which has allowed us to cope more efficiently with the growing trade and mounting orders.

What are your most popular products?
Salmon is always a favourite among my customers.  Monkfish, Turbot and Cod are also popular as are fresh Cockles and Mussels.

Have you noticed any changes in taste over the past year?
Well, many of the favorites have remained the same throughout the years; however as new fish such as Seabass and Tuna have been introduced to the market they have also become popular.  This is a much welcome change as it eases the demand on local produce which aren’t always there in the desired quantities, due to fishing quotas.

Do you worry about the low stocks of fish experienced by the industry lately?
I am concerned, but I remember 30 years ago my father saying the seafood business would be on its way out because of the situation with fish stocks.  Still, here we are ploughing on and even increasing our operations.  Our wholesale business is now our lifeblood.

What is your opinion of Northern Ireland’s seafood?
We buy a large selection of very fresh fish and shellfish and I reckon in terms of quality it is most definitely up there with the best in the world.

Ewing’s Seafood’s,
Mr Walter Ewing, 6 Kendal Street, Belfast, BT13 2JR.
TEL: +44 (0) 28 9032 5534, FAX: +44 (0) 28 9024 1707,
E-mail: ewing.seafoods@btconnect.com