Fresh fish from Beer Fisheries in Beer, Devon is a must if you want an education in what fresh fish is meant to taste like. If you are already cynical about the defrosted fish on the supermarket fish counters up and down the UK, the quality and taste of freshly caught fish off Lyme Bay will amaze you. Better still, the prices are decent enough for a young family to keep coming back for more! Read on for a review of Beer Fisheries written after a recent jaunt to the idyllic coastal village of Beer.
How to find Beer Fisheries
When you walk down the cobbles of Sea Hill to Beer Beach, the last thing you expect is a well-stocked fishmonger (though the Fishing boats laid up on the shingle are a big hint). Beer Fisheries is just on the left-hand side in a quaint cabin surrounded by all the paraphernalia of rugged working fishermen. Think nets, boxes and an old tractor that probably drags the fish-laden boats out of the sea.
About Beer Fisheries
Beer Fisheries is a family-run enterprise that has been fishing the waters of Lyme Bay from the town of Beer for at least four generations. If you are a fan of Trawlermen, This Fishing Life or Fish Town, this is the place to come to buy fresh fish from the men who brave the sea to put fresh fish on our plate – no middleman involved. I was delighted to be served by Alan Gribble who was somewhat of a fishing patriarch and his son during my stay in the village. Almost everything is hauled from Lyme Bay with some additional fish coming from Brixham.
Lyme Bay fish from Beer Fisheries
Now, on to the fish! The shop is pretty basic with a counter and cabinet. For me, the simpler things are, the better they are going to be. On the days I visited, there was a great selection of Hake, Monkfish, Pollack, Haddock, Cod, Mackerel, Scallops, and Mussels chilling along with smoked kippers, mackerel and haddock in the fridge. Alan was more than obliging in weighing, cleaning and filleting fish so that it would be pan-ready. Everything was fresh and had travelled no further than 100 metres up the beach to the shop.
What did we try?
The whitefish prices were excellent and during our stay, we did not hesitate to try:
- Pollack
- Haddock
- Hake
- Kippers
- Mackerel
Everything was 100% fresh and had never known the inside of a freezer. We pan-fried our fish with olive oil, garlic and some onions and ate it with spinach. The taste and texture of the fresh fish were distinct from the fish I was used to. The hake was as hearty as a steak supper with giant flavourful flakes. Even the toddler gobbled it down. Based on the quality and taste of the fish we bought, bought and bought again! We could happily subsist on this fish alone for the rest of our days!
So, what’s great about fresh fish from Beer?
I have to admit that I am well and truly hooked on this delicious fish, which was a surprise find. I am already missing it greatly and long to enjoy a stroll down to the fishmongers once more. Here is what I think makes Beer Fisheries a must-visit:
Beer fish cannot be any fresher
If the provenance and quality of the food you eat matter to you, Beer fish is the ultimate buy. This delicious fish has zero supply chain because it comes directly from Lyme Bay. 100% sustainably caught fish from in-shore small boats.
Great prices
The reason we bought so much fish from Alan and the team at Beer Fisheries was that it was one of the cheapest fishmongers I have ever visited. For the exceptional quality of the fish, they offered v. v. low prices for Hake. Beautiful haddock fillets were £1.50 when I went and fleshy kippers were just £3.
You are buying from the fisherman’s hands – the boats are just there
This in itself is an amazing experience and the team was very friendly and answered all my city slicker (AKA ignorant) questions about the fish.
Great taste from the clean waters of Lyme bay
If you have fussy eaters in your household, this is the fish to buy. It is not fishy at all and the texture is beautiful when even abused in the pan by me!
This is probably one of the best places to try a seafood platter
If you want to push the boat out with family and friends, the team at Beer fisheries are crab, lobster, and shellfish experts. They create amazing seafood platters, made to order, with classics that include:
- whole lobster
- dressed crab
- cockle meat
- cooked peeled prawns
- hot smoked salmon
- cooked tiger prawns
- …and more!
UK-wide fresh fish delivery from Beer Fisheries
You can get the amazing Lyme Bay catch from Beer Fisheries delivered to your front door, anywhere in the UK! Alan explained that their 24-hour delivery service can provide you with whatever is on the counter that day, along with selections from Brixham. The prices remain competitive and if I remember correctly delivery is about £7.95! I will be ordering throughout the mackerel season!
Beer Fisheries
Address: Sea Hill, Beer, Seaton EX12 3NE
Phone: 01297 20297
Website: https://www.beerfisheries.co.uk/
Dart Mart Devon 