#Fish24: Celebrating Seafood and the People Behind Every Plate

At Fish City, we are passionate about our seafood. From the moment fresh fish and shellfish arrive through our doors each morning to the final plate served to our guests, every step is made possible and shaped by the dedication, skill, and passion of countless people working across the seafood industry.

That’s why we’re incredibly proud to support #Fish24 — a 24-hour social media campaign that shines a spotlight on the people, stories, and opportunities that make the UK seafood sector so special. This campaign is initiated by our friend and award-winning Author, Food Columnist, Producer and Campaigner Jenny Jefferies, and Mike Warner, the Chairman of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain and founder of A Passion For Seafood.

For us, Fish24 is about far more than seafood alone. It’s about recognising the fishermen and women who brave challenging, dangerous conditions at sea, the aquaculture farmers carefully raising high-quality produce, the suppliers who ensure responsible sourcing, and the chefs and hospitality teams who transform exceptional ingredients into memorable dining experiences time and time again.

Every plate tells a story.

Supporting the Seafood Industry from Shore to Plate

The seafood industry is a uniquely important sector in the UK, supporting coastal communities, local businesses, and over 30,000 jobs across fishing, aquaculture, processing, transport, hospitality, and retail. As a small, family-run seafood restaurant in Belfast, we feel incredibly connected to that larger story.

Every day in our restaurant, we see first-hand the level of care and craftsmanship involved in preparing seafood properly. Each day our team of chefs expertly fillet and portion fresh fish, prepare fresh squid for the perfect calamari, clean and de-beard our locally sourced Strangford Lough mussels brought in from our supplier Keenan’s, they shuck the finest Carlingford oysters fresh to order, and carefully handle a wide variety of shellfish and seafood species. It is skilled, detailed, meticulous work that requires practice, precision, and genuine passion.

Seafood is unlike many other ingredients. Freshness matters enormously, and so do the techniques used to prepare it. Understanding seasonality, sustainability, sourcing, preparation, and flavour all play a huge role in crafting and curating a menu that celebrates the fruits of the sea. Behind every serving is an entire chain of people who care deeply about what they do. Fish24 gives us the opportunity to celebrate those people.

Exploring Seafood Beyond the ‘Big Five’

Fish24 is also a great opportunity to discover the incredible variety of seafood available around our shores. In the UK, many consumers regularly stick to what are often called the ‘Big Five’ species — cod, haddock, salmon, tuna, and prawns. While these are all popular for good reason, there are so many other fantastic species of fish and shellfish available that deserve recognition.

Mussels, oysters, cuttlefish, langoustines, dulse, whelks and periwinkles… the diversity of seafood available around our coastline is remarkable. Whilst cod and haddock are go-to species for many, there are so many other species of whitefish worth trying: from monkfish, hake, plaice, and halibut to skate, saithe, pollock, and whiting.

Not only are many of these species absolutely delicious, but they are packed with nutritional benefits. Seafood is one of the most nutrient-dense, health-supportive foods we can eat, a highly satiating source of protein, and powerhouse of essential vitamins and minerals, including Omega-3. Two of the three types of Omega-3 can only be obtained through the consumption of fish and shellfish, with health benefits including improved heart function, regulation of inflammation, and supporting brain and mental health. Herring, mackerel, mussels, rainbow trout, and crab are just a few species rich in Omega-3.

Trying different species can also help support a more balanced and sustainable seafood industry by encouraging wider consumer demand across a broader range of responsibly sourced seafood. In this case, diversifying our palates can allow overfished stocks time to recover and help improve the marine ecosystems that provide us with seafood. Even better, seafood has a significantly lower carbon footprint than terrestrial meat, making it a more sustainable protein choice amongst foods.

At Fish City, we’re passionate about helping guests feel confident exploring new seafood options. Sometimes all it takes is trying a new special, tasting something prepared in a different way, or learning a little more about where a species comes from and how it is caught or farmed. Seafood should feel exciting, approachable, and enjoyable. Fish24 is a brilliant reminder that there is a world of incredible seafood just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.

Investing in People

One of the parts of Fish24 that resonates most strongly with us is its focus on the people that make it all happen. Hospitality and seafood are both industries built by hardworking individuals who develop valuable skills over years of dedication and experience. Supporting young talent and helping people grow professionally has always been one of the most rewarding parts of our journey as a family business. Two individuals who perfectly represent that journey are our Jason and Lea. Both joined our team at just 16 years old. Today, they are both key members of the team.

Jason’s Journey from Kids Club to Sous Chef

Jason’s journey with Fish City began long before he joined the kitchen team. His first experience with Fish City was attending our Kids Club programme for local schoolchildren, in which we introduce P7s to seafood, sustainability, and the journey of seafood from sea to plate. The programme, which is provided free to local area schools, was designed to help young people become acquainted with our local fishing industry, encourage healthy eating, and equip them with the knowledge to make more sustainable seafood choices.

At the age of 16, he took his very first job working on the pass, plating dishes before they would be sent out to tables. He quickly demonstrated both enthusiasm and talent in the kitchen. Over the years, he worked his way steadily through the ranks, developing his culinary skills and growing in confidence and responsibility. His dedication and hard work saw him promoted to Demi Chef de Partie before progressing to Sous Chef.

Watching Jason develop from a young student visiting through our educational programme into a capable leader within our kitchen team has been incredibly rewarding. His story is a reminder of how important it is to invest in young people, create opportunities, and nurture talent over time. It also highlights how hospitality can offer fulfilling careers for people who are passionate, hardworking, and eager to learn.

Lea’s Vital Role Behind the Scenes

Lea’s journey with Fish City has been equally inspiring. She also joined the team at 16 and spent years working on our pass before eventually moving into the Office team. Over time, she has taken on a wide range of responsibilities that are instrumental to the running of the business.

During a period of significant food inflation and rising costs across the industry, Lea played a key role in tracking price increases and helping to manage operational costs. She also took on handling invoices, accounts, and wages — responsibilities that require attention to detail, organisation, and most especially trust. Alongside this, Lea has made major contributions to our sustainability work over the years. She has supported our carbon reporting and data collection, helping strengthen our environmental performance and contributing towards securing our Gold Award with Green Tourism. Sustainability is essential to our ethos, and having committed team members who care about these initiatives makes all the difference.

What makes Lea’s achievements even more impressive is that she has balanced all of this alongside her studies at school and then at university. Having recently completed her university coursework, she is due to graduate this summer. Her journey reflects the hard work, determination, and versatility that so many talented people in hospitality demonstrate every day.

Why Fish24 Matters

Campaigns like Fish24 matter because they help people better understand the scale, diversity, and importance of the seafood industry. Too often, the public only sees the finished meal on the plate. What can sometimes go unseen are the countless individuals, careers, skills, and businesses behind it. From fishermen and aquaculture farmers to suppliers, kitchen porters, chefs, office teams, servers, sustainability coordinators, delivery drivers, and educators — every single role contributes to bringing quality seafood from shore to plate.

Fish24 also helps showcase the future opportunities available within the industry. Hospitality and seafood can offer exciting, creative, technical, and rewarding careers for people with many different interests and skillsets. Whether someone is passionate about cooking, sustainability, business management, customer service, education, or operations, there are so many pathways available. Both Jason and Lea are wonderful examples of how young people can grow, develop, and build successful careers within the industry when given the opportunities and support.

Celebrating the Stories Behind Every dish

At Fish City, we’re incredibly proud to be part of a wider seafood industry built on skill, passion, teamwork, and resilience. Supporting Fish24 is our way of celebrating not only the seafood itself but also the people behind it. Every oyster shucked, every fillet prepared, every supplier relationship maintained, every sustainability report completed, and every guest served is part of a much bigger story. So whether you’re enjoying a familiar favourite or trying a new species for the very first time, you’re helping support a proud seafood industry and the many hardworking people who make it possible.

We hope that for this Fish24 our guests and communities are encouraged to discover and try new species of seafood for themselves, learn more about the journey of their food from sea to plate, and recognise the incredible dedication that exists throughout the industry. Most importantly, we hope it inspires the next generation of leaders and talent.

Here’s to the sea, the stories, and the people behind every delicious bite.

To learn more about the Fish24 campaign, visit fish24.org.uk.