Fish City owner remains committed to sustainable fish as costs rise from the war in Ukraine

Restaurateur John Lavery has seen his longstanding focus on sustainable seafood influence others throughout the Northern Ireland hospitality industry.

Sustainability has now become a key consideration in the developing trend to preserve food resources in the global drive to mitigate the worrying climate change and otherchallenges.

John owns the multi-award winning Fish City restaurant in Belfast’s Ann Street with wife Grainne. What sets the smart restaurant apart in the local hospitality industry is its commitment to sustainable seafood, a commitment indicated by its MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certification, over many years.

MSC seeks to protect marine resources especially from over-fishing exploitation. As a result, Fish City is now Belfast’s only certified sustainable seafood eatery.

“All our cod and haddock, which are sourced from Norway and Iceland, are MSC certified and other species of fish are also responsibility sourced from sustainable waters,” John explains. “We ensure full food traceability, engaging with local producers in harbours such as Kilkeel, Portavogie and Ardglass. Our aim is to offer diners richly flavoured, creative and healthy food especially sustainable fish and seafood. We’ve found that younger consumers, in particular, are becoming increasingly concerned about environmental and dietary issues arising from climate change. “Sustainable fishing means leaving enough fish in the oceans and protecting habitats and threatened species. By safeguarding the oceans, people who depend on fishing can maintain their livelihoods and help counter climate issues.”

MSC is an international non-profit organisation that recognises and rewards efforts to protect oceans and safeguard seafood supplies for the future. It wants future generations to be able to enjoy seafood and oceans full of life, forever.

“MSC’s vision is of the world’s oceans teeming with life, and seafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations. This is an objective that all can support. It works with partners to influence the choices people make when buying seafood and to transform the seafood market to a sustainable basis. MSC certified restaurants are indicated by the organisation’s distinctive blue fish logo,” John adds.

The business, however, is facing a new threat from tightening supplies resulting from the war in the Ukraine which has led to bans on Russian fish. “Worryingly, prices have been rising since the start of the year and are increasing again from the horrific war in the Ukraine,” he says.

John was delighted when Fish City, the fish and seafood restaurant he set up with Grainne back in 2013, won the ‘Menu Development and Innovation’ category in the prestigious UK Fish and Chip Awards in January 2020.

The prestigious award enhanced the popular restaurant’s growing reputation as something different and original following being named the UK’s Healthiest and Most Sustainable fish restaurant by Seafish, the influential public body that supports the £10 billion UK seafood industry, in 2018.

The city centre restaurant was the only one in the north to make the top 10 of the 2020 National Fish and Chip Awards, which “recognise outstanding restaurants that are serving incredible fish and chips and providing excellent customer service”.

“The awards we’ve won over the years recognise our success in developing a restaurant specialising in creating original and delicious fish and seafood dishes especially from sustainable fish. Fish and Chip shops are still hugely popular especially in Britain and here,” adds John, who’s now resident in Ballynahinch.

Then Covid-19 reached NI and Fish City and other local restaurants faced lengthy and frustrating lockdowns seriously impacting business. John subsequently launched a click and collect service to help keep cash flowing. He also became among the most vocal campaigners for measures to support the strategically important hospitality industry here.

John, a native of Dromara, describes it as “a very worrying and frustrating time for everyone in the industry”.

“We all worked tirelessly to build up support, particularly among politicians, for an industry which has long contributed hugely to the local economy. It was a long and hard slog until the restrictions were all lifted and we able to open our doors again. But the cost challenges to hospitality and other industries are clearly not over yet,” he adds.

Business had been improving steadily as people regained confidence in eating out again. “While we continue to hope that this year will eventually prove better than the previous two years, there’s now growing concern over rising costs, especially in energy and fuel, from the Russian invasion of the Ukraine,” he continues.

“While traditional fish and chips remain at the heart of our business, we’ve also diversified our menu to provide gourmet fish and seafood dishes such as local oysters and mussels, as well as poultry and other meats from other suppliers here.”

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