Meet The Yorkshire Fish and Chip Shop Changing The Game in Sustainable Fishing

Tell us a bit about the history of Whitehead’s Fish and Chips.
We opened in 1997 and at the time it only had a takeaway. We later expanded to include a 40-seater café on the side of the shop and fast forward another ten years or so and I turned the building next to me into a 70-seater restaurant.

Has sustainability been a priority from the beginning?
We had lots of discussions in the early days about wind turbines, solar panels, and fishing because I come from a fishing family and the area was being fished out by the British fisherman and obviously that was high on our agenda. I started implementing other aspects besides fishing-related ones and solar panels and wind turbines. For example, I started recycling my oil. This was in the very early days of everything and I started to recycle my oil to be used as bio fuel. I bought an old van and started using the bio fuel to operate it. On top of that, I started using cardboard (instead of plastic) so we’ve been following good practices for quite some time now.

How has that since developed?
So as technology has progressed, we got solar panels fitted and the electricity that is being created for me is helping to save a fortune in bills. I’ve also just applied for permission to put five wind turbines up and although it failed, I’ll be going back to the drawing board with that. It’s all about noise analysis, so we need an acoustic analysis done before we can go any further. I have also become MSC certified [a guarantee that the seafood stocked is sustainably sourced].

What was it like to win the award?
Obviously I’m very passionate about the environment and sustainable practices, and it’s an honour, especially as I care so much about it. I like to think that if I can, I’ll help others in the industry and point them in the right direction as well.

Tell us about the trip to Norway.
It’s a once in a lifetime visit and it was a pleasure to be there for the information that was gained regarding sustainability. We ended up having a mini seminar with a man called Daniel who works with the Norwegian Seafood Council [who hosted the event on behalf of Seafood from Norway and Norwegian Frozen at Sea] and when it comes to the scientific data and the quotas that are given to the fishermen, he was so informative about the fish levels and how the whole ecosystem works – it was brilliant. I learned more in an hour than I had in the last ten years regarding fish stocks. Ultimately between fish and oil, that’s Norway’s economy so they have to take care of it.

When we were in the longliner on the second day the quality and technology that was on that boat was incredible. I come from a fishing family, and the technology on that boat was absolutely not there only a few years ago. We went into the engine room and ordinarily a boat would carry its own fresh water, but this boat draws in the water through filters by sucking the seawater up, filtering it and using it that way – it was mind blowing. The boat that we went on was also hybrid-powered which I’ve never seen before.

What was your take away from the trip?
I learned so much about what they are doing things to ensure that there’s plenty of fish in the sea for the generations to come. Overall it’s great to see they’re doing the right things for the industry and for the planet. I can honestly say it’s in good hands.

What does the future look like for Whitehead’s and the fishing industry in the UK?
Thankfully because countries like Norway, Iceland, and the UK are implementing these sustainable practices more and more, I can safely say that we will have a business for many years to come, because there will always be a demand for fish. We’ve been doing it for 27 years and I want my shop to be here for another 50, and because of all of these good practices they’re putting into place it ensures we can operate and operate at a good level.