Join us on a fishy adventure! And how to cook fish perfectly at home!
This week I thought I’d bring you along with Sigh and me as we visit the ever-so-peaceful, tranquil town of Dartmouth for a fishy adventure!
We’ve both not visited for many years, Sigh last came here when he was a yacht deckhand in 1979, and myself when I was Nanny-ing for a family whilst on their holidays over 20 years ago.
We stayed in the beautiful Dart Marina, which I cannot recommend more highly. The interiors and styling of the entire hotel were absolutely fantastic, filled with nostalgic black and white photos of days gone by. We marvelled at them all each time we walked through the halls!
We had a wonderful view of the water from our room, there really is nothing like some good old sea air to clear away the cobwebs is there?!
Whilst in Dartmouth, we journeyed to nearby Brixham, the largest fishing port in England. From there we were treated to a fascinating in-depth tour through the workings of the local fish market with our own personal guide Justin.
Justin showed us the processes from boat to market and explained how sustainability really is at the forefront of their efforts. There is not a piece of polystyrene to be seen, and no single-use plastic is used anywhere. ‘Hen’ crabs and lobsters carrying eggs are never, ever landed, and are instead placed back into the sea to continue to reproduce. Justin really was such a font of knowledge and I came away feeling very educated on all things fish!
We then spent the evening at the wonderful Rockfish restaurant and sat on the balcony outside with the most wonderful view of the port. If you ever get the chance to visit, you absolutely must! The fish is as fresh as it gets, and you can see them preparing your dishes with love through the window of the open kitchen.
The next day, we ventured to Rockfish’s very own Seafood Market, where you can simply come down, choose your fish, and take it home to cook! The selection is absolutely incredible, and the standard is of course second to none.
Whilst there we were also lucky enough to have a snoop out in the back to see how each and every piece of fish is prepared and processed.
Not only are Rockfish a stellar chain of restaurants committed to sustainability and overall providing exceptional fish, they are also trailblazing through the online fish delivery industry, with their ‘Rockfish - Seafood At Home’ delivery service.
Rockfish select prime fish, package and send it directly to your door in mere moments. They’ve devised a recyclable, reusable packaging system that ensures no ‘fishy smell’ on your doorstep, and they’ve even incorporated QR codes onto each packet to guide you on cooking techniques, recipes, complimentary sauces and flavours. Plus you can see exactly which boat your fish was caught on! It really is the fishmongers of the 21st century.
They’ve kindly given followers of Ask Charlie an exclusive 15% off discount code to use when ordering online, which can be used once per customer and runs out at the end of July. Just pop CHARLIE15 in at checkout.
We rounded up our trip with a lunch with the founder of Rockfish, Mitch Tonks, at The Seahorse. A favourite of Tom Parker Bowles, it was one of the most incredible lunches I’ve been to and such a special experience. Mitch’s passion for sustainability was palpable, and his visions for the future so inspiring.
After returning home, you’ve guessed it! I immediately ordered myself some goodies from Rockfish! We enjoyed Turbot with Béarnaise Butter, and oh boy was it delicious.
Thank you ever so much for joining me this week, I hope you enjoyed it. Don’t forget to share your Rockfish deliveries with me, I’d love to see what you go for!
Love, Charlie x