Rockfish drops cod as supply issues and prices intensify

Rockfish will temporarily remove cod from all nine of its restaurant and takeaway menus from July 11th, citing global supply issues and the potential for it to become uneconomical for both the business and its customers.

Rockfish has always bought the highest quality MSC certified Norwegian cod, however current pressures brought on by the rising import tariffs on Russian fish due to sanctions and the subsequent increase in demand and price of fish from other non-Russian fisheries has made for an incredibly difficult supply chain to manage.

To avoid making cod uneconomical for the restaurant group and customers, owner Mitch Tonks has decided to take a break from cod until supplies return to a more manageable rate. He sees it as a great opportunity for customers to embrace and celebrate other varieties of British fish, a subject he has been pioneering for the past two decades.

Mitch comments: “We know that in parts of Britain, fish and chips means cod and chips. At the moment because of global supply issues resulting in significant cost implications for our customers, we have sat down as a team and made the decision to make this the summer of British fish.

“This is a brilliant time for British fishing and now is our chance to celebrate lesser consumed but excellent British fish such as hake (in abundance currently and MSC certified), plaice, gurnard and MSC haddock.”

Rockfish has always championed British fish with its restaurant menus featuring daily landings of local species such as crab, lobster, scallops, turbot and Dover sole as well as traditional fish and chips showcasing hake and haddock.

Mitch stresses this is by no means a permanent decision, but a way to protect customers from having to overpay due to external forces, adding: “This is a decision made purely for external reasons, part of a global situation the industry has never faced before.”