Latimers: Fishmonger of the Year 2015!!!!
Local Retailer Latimer’s Seafood Deli & Café
wins
Fishmonger of the Year
in the Farm Shop & Deli Awards 2015
From over 500 entries nationwide, local retailer Latimer’s Seafood Deli & Café wins Fishmonger of the Year 2015 in the National Farm Shop & Deli Awards.
“To be crowned ‘Fishmonger of the Year’ is incredible. We feel honoured and are totally thrilled with this national award – to be judged as the best at what we do within the UK is fantastic! Thanks go to our loyal customers,the fishermen who land to us and to all our hard-working team” said Robert Latimer proud owner of Latimers Seafood Deli and Café.
“Our customers have helped us achieve this award by voting for us, in-store and on line. We were genuinely touched by some of the lovely comments we received, it really does make all the hard-work worthwhile.men who land to us and to all our hard-working team” said Robert Latimer proud owner of Latimers Seafood Deli and Café.
“The fishermen who go out to sea day in day out, deserve a big pat on the back too” Robert continued, “they really look after their catches that they land to us – well done lads, they are the unsung heroes in all of this.” And Robert should know – he used to be a lone creel fisherman off the West Coast of Scotland, by the infamous Corryveckan whirlpool. (The world’s 3rd biggest!) “Fishing is one of the nation’s most dangerous jobs and we need to support all those men and their livelihoods – it’s more than just a job to them – it’s a way of life.
“We’ve got such a good bunch of staff here at the minute, they all work long and hard hours dressing crabs and lobsters, filleting & smoking fish, making our secret family recipe pasties, cakes and scones, serving in the café and looking after our customers, we genuinely could not do the job without them, never mind win this award!
“Having recently won a Great Taste Award 2014 from the Guild of Fine Food, for our ‘Latimers Roasted Smoked Salmon’ it seems we are on a winning streak and long may it continue!”
In the 13 years since self-taught fishmonger and owner Robert Latimer opened Latimer’s Seafood at Whitburn, overlooking the beautiful North East coastline, the business has gone from strength to strength and is now synonymous with seafood lovers as the plaice to go for the freshest local catches of seafood, a huge variety of fresh fish and our friendly expertise.
“Offering fresh, daily, local sustainable catches and superb variety to our customers is what we do best. 90% of the fish we sell is caught from the sea right here on our doorstep at Whitburn, we always try to measure our catches in the fewest nautical, rather than road, miles” said Robert Latimer “This means that customers can be sure they are getting the best, fresh, local, native fish and shellfish around.
“You don’t have to be in the mood for fish to enjoy a visit to our Cafe… obviously we cook the delicious fresh fish and seafood from our deli but bacon sarnies are just one of our non-fishy items on the menu along with our delicious home-made cakes and scones. With fabulous views over the beach at Whitburn as well as a lovely outdoor decked seating area we aim to offer a fantastic coastal destination with some great old fashioned North East hospitality thrown in!”
Latimer’s Seafood Deli & Café of Whitburn was one of twelve category winners chosen following a day of intensive judging by leading speciality retailers and key industry figures along with mystery visits conducted throughout December by Nigel Barden and Elaine Lemm.
Now in its second year, the Farm Shop & Deli Awards, in partnership with Olives Et Al, recognises the very best standards in the speciality retail market and celebrates the highest levels of service, product knowledge, initiative, innovation and community involvement. The Awards praise the unsung heroes of the high street and speciality retail scene with categories ranging from fishmongers, butchers, bakers, farm shops and delis through to garden centres, food halls and online businesses.
The awards were judged by a team of expert judges from the world of speciality retail, fine food and food media. Once the award entries had been received the judges drew up a shortlist of entrants and then carried out a series of ‘secret’ visits in December 2014 to see the entrants in action.
Judge Nigel Barden, Chairman of Judges and Food and Drink Journalist/Broadcaster, says: “Another brilliantly rewarding set of visits. There are some very focused, driven and talented food retailers in Britain, who deserve to be nourished and encouraged. It’s marvellous that these awards can bring them to much wider attention.”
Elaine Lemm, the Co-Chair of Judges and Food Writer, says: “I thought the high standard of last year’s entries for the awards were unsurpassable. I was wrong. The quality, dedication and sheer hard work of all the businesses entering this year showed this is, once again, a sector of which to be proud. It is no wonder that shopping habits in the UK are changing with this retail of this quality on offer for the British shopper.”
The Farm Shop & Deli Awards 2015 received a record number of entrants from over 500 businesses across the UK, along with thousands of public votes from consumers supporting their favourite speciality retailers.
The scores will now be counted and judged within the nine UK regions, announcing the Regional Champions in March – these winners will go through to the final with the chance to win Retailer of the Year. The overall winner will be announced at the Farm Shop & Deli Show on Monday 20 April 2015 at 2:45pm at Birmingham’s NEC.
