Full Meal - Discover the very first fish cannery in England. And how you can contribute to a sustainable fishing industry
In this Service Please! episode, we talk to the owner of a freshly established family business that’s here to disrupt the canned fish market. Angus Cowan co-founded Sea Sisters, the only fish cannery in England. Sea Sisters is a family company that delivers quality British seafood, located in the hills of West Dorset, a few miles from the sea.
Sea Sisters’ mission is to support and promote a sustainable British fishing industry. But they will also wow you with Angus’s creative, out-of-this-world recipes that turn canned fish and seafood into must-haves for your pantry.
Bonus for our listeners - an exclusive recipe from Sea Sisters. Check at the end.
It all started at Jamie’s Italian ‘flagship’ restaurant
His mother is a chef, so Angus grew up surrounded by great food. But his introduction to the restaurant world happened ten years ago at the first Jamie’s Italian restaurant in Oxford. Learning all about producing delicious dishes, but also learning about the provenance of the ingredients, their heritage and cultural reference.
This experience was the cornerstone of Angus’s career. From Jamie’s Italian, Angus worked for Sam Clark at Moro as a commis before starting at Trullo, where he flourished as a chef.
Starting the first English fish cannery from home
Angus started his family business with his partner Charlotte, bang in the middle of the first lockdown. He talks about the challenges of perfecting his recipes in his home kitchen and testing new canning equipment that came with a Russian manual. Add two small kids running around the place to the mix, and it’ll paint the picture of how this fantastic family business started.
His story gives us a great insight into the journey of an entrepreneur in the food space. And the hard work required behind the scenes before you can even show a product to sell.
Is sustainable fishing possible?
We learn about the versatility of canned fish and the vision of Sea Sisters to offer sustainable options, using fish in our waters that are in season and abundance. And by building solid relationships with their fish suppliers, Sea Sisters can get the freshest catch to turn into tasty marinated fish and seafood, taking canned fish to another level and offering a premium product ready for you to enjoy at any time.
Angus also explains how Sea Sisters aims for zero waste by skillfully pairing fish cuts not often used with incredible marinade recipes made with local produce. Once canned, they’re ready to eat on bread or crackers or used in cooking.
All this was inspired by Angus and Charlotte’s trips in a transit van across Europe, enjoying tinned fish and seafood on baguettes combined with fresh local produce. And a good marinade or infused oils that bring out the best of any fish cut is a winner. This is what Sea Sisters is all about.
Building a premium brand that’s sustainable and authentic
Angus is proudly building a family legacy by turning the fish cannery on its head. Sea Sisters offer premium artisanal preserves that deliver in taste, packed in aesthetically pleasing tins with an authentic vibe.
By using high-quality British ingredients in its recipes, Sea Sisters’ unique range of tinned fish and seafood brings the opportunity to enjoy the resources our waters and land provide sustainably.
Be part of the change for the better. Check out the Sea Sisters range.
Angus can help you get creative with some recipe ideas. Here’s one he wanted to share with our listeners. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Sea sisters cuttlefish in ink x 1
Spaghetti x 120g
Butter x 1 knob
Dried chilli flakes x 1/4 TSP (depending on spice level)
A handful of chopped parsley
This dish is so easy and so damn tasty, just don't overcook your pasta! (Tip: always take it out of the water 1 minute before being totally cooked and finish in the sauce)
This can of cuttlefish in ink is rich and packed full of flavour. The aim is to carry the flavour from the can throughout the pasta dish and a little knob of butter at the end helps to do this.
Cook your pasta in heavily salted water
Whilst cooking your pasta gently warm up the contents of the can in a sauce pan. Add a splash of water so you don't lose out on sauce whilst it heats up
When the pasta is almost done, transfer it to the simmering sauce. Use a pair of tongs or wooden spoon to gently bring it all together.
Add a knob of butter (and a splash of water if needed. You don't want claggy pasta!)
Add dried chilli flakes and chopped parsley and combine once more.
Season to taste. Serve up and slurp!
Tell us how you did with that tasty recipe!
Ireland