Safety the priority as top restaurant, Fish City, invests for future growth

Restaurateur John Lavery has addressed the formidable challenges of the coronavirus lockdown and associated rules such as social distancing by investing in safety at Fish City, the award winning restaurant in Belfast city centre he runs with wife Grainne.

He’s spent upwards of £60,000 to create an additional stylish bar and dining area above the existing eatery in Ann Street, one of the city’s busiest areas before the pandemic.

“While we managed to keep the main restaurant ticking over during the lockdown by providing delivery and call and collect services, it was a tremendous relief when we were allowed to open our doors again to diners,” John says.

He recognised that social distancing rules meant a significant reduction in tables for diners in the restaurant and the sizeable patio outdoors.

“It became clear pretty quickly that the essential safety requirements would mean a third of tables would have to be removed and that this would have a serious impact on revenue,” he continues. “This led us to look at extensive space we had upstairs that wasn’t being used. We had been considering adding extra tables for some time and decided to move quickly on this to ensure the continuing success of our business.

“What we decided to do was to create a dining room upstairs with a completely different ‘feel’, virtually a new restaurant. While the seafood theme is still a feature, we’ve branded it ‘Hook and Anchor – Fishermen’s Cabin’ for a completely new look. We’ve adhered, of course, to social distancing regulations for safe dining.”

The restaurant’s impressive commitment to the safety of its customers and 20-strong employees is also seen in its recognition as Covid-19 Compliant by Tourism NI, an exacting procedure, and in an independent audit of its processes commissioned by John and Grainne. Safety processes include a digital thermometer mounted at the door which all staff and customers are required to pass before entering the premises. Anyone recording a high temperature is refused admission. Hand sanitisers are also readily available at the entrance. In addition, kitchen and front of house staff are required to wear masks and to wash their hands regularly. Tables and chairs are cleaned rigorously after every diner.

“We are doing everything possible to provide an environment that’s both safe and welcoming for customers at this immensely difficult time,” John explains. “The lockdown was a very worrying time for everyone and especially for our industry. Another lockdown, I believe, would be devastating for the hospitality sector here. I hope that it can be avoided because I fear the industry will find difficulty in bouncing back if the shutters are pulled down again.”

Fish City, the fish and seafood restaurant established by the ambitious husband and wife team in 2013, has won widespread acclaim for the quality and innovation of its meals and the professionalism of its services to customers. The restaurant won the ‘Menu Development and Innovation’ category in the prestigious UK Fish and Chip Awards in January 2020. It was the only one here 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”.

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

The restaurant, John continues, benefited from the recent ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ support for meals from government. “It certainly brought a lot of people out for meals at the early part of the week which encouraged the team here and helped the restaurant’s position,” he adds.

The Ballynahinch-based couple have created an impressive and progressive restaurant with a reputation for quality food and friendly service. “While traditional fish and chips remains at the heart of our business, we’ve expanded our menu to provide original fish and seafood dishes, including local oysters and mussels, as well as poultry and other meats and vegan options.”

What also sets the restaurant apart is its longstanding focus on sustainable seafood, a commitment indicated by its MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certification which seeks to protect marine resources from over-fishing. As a result, Fish City is now Belfast’s only sustainable seafood restaurant.

“All our cod and haddock are MSC certified and other species of fish are also responsibility sourced from sustainable waters,” he says. “We ensure full food traceability, engaging with local producers wherever possible. Our aim is to offer diners richly flavoured, creative and healthy food especially fish and seafood. We’ve found that younger consumers, in particular, are becoming increasingly concerned about environmental and dietary issues.”

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