Summer Newsletter 2024

Gone Fishing!

?This month sees a big change to Collins Seafoods Yorkshire as one of our sales team, Kevin Hayton, is set to semi-retire and Jonathan Naylor, also from the sales team, is leaving us for his long overdue retirement. Both Kevin and Jonathan have been with Collins Seafoods Yorkshire, previously Wraggs, for many years, and were co-owners of the old Wraggs Seafoods prior to the sale of the company to Collins in 2012.

Kevin fondly recalls the old days at Wraggs and remembers making deliveries to customers at the end of his working day, making sure everyone got what they needed and that all the orders were fulfilled. Conversing with customers was about more than making a sale, it was about speaking with friends and catching up. “You got to know people on a personal level and some customers went on to become good friends.”

Prior to Wraggs, after 2.5 years unemployed, Kevin bought a fish and chip van. He ran that for 7 years before making the change to wholesale and went on to supply up to 200 fish and chip shops at any one time.

Kevin is very knowledgeable about the fish he sells and, having previously owned and run a fish and chip shop himself, he tries most of the fish that comes into the depot and can offer advice and share his expertise with his customers.

Has Kevin got any plans for semi-retirement? He plans to go from selling fish to catching it! Kevin hopes to spend more time relaxing and participating in his favourite hobby, fishing.

Kevin will still be in the office Monday to Wednesday, making calls and ensuring every one of his customers is taken care of.

Jonathan remembers his first job at just 13 years old, leading a horse and cart down Leeds main road at 6am, to meet the fish train. Loading up the cart and back to the yard every morning, the horse came to know the route so well that on the many occasions Jonathan fell asleep on the ride back, the horse always found its way home!

He started selling fish in around 1975, almost 50 years ago and it’s been his passion ever since. Working for Naylors and then forming Wraggs Seafoods with Kevin, before selling to mCollins Seafoods in 2012.

Jonathan is married with 7 children and 8 grandchildren. He loves to travel, and spends time abroad, and visiting his grandchildren. He is a keen golfer, playing several times a week and at the age of 70, he has taken up fishing!

Jonathan is a character of the trade and has a good relationship with his customers. With a career in the trade that spans 50 years, he has made many friends along the way and has always been happy to come to work. So much so, that this is about his fourth time retiring, and he can’t promise it will be his last!

Jonathan is set to undergo a major operation shortly and I’m sure everyone will join us in wishing him a speedy recovery and all the best in his retirement.

Company news

Charity Walk

When you work in a sector that revolves around tasty food, you need to keep fit, so some of Collins Seafoods staff laced up their walking boots for a hike around the Lake District. The group headed to Keswick in late June for a fundraising trek in aid of Feeding Families. The North East charity offers support, hope and security for those experiencing food poverty. And safe to say the team smashed it – both the hike and the ￡500 fundraising total. So far they’ve raised ￡523. Great work guys!

We’ve been to Spain

Craig English, MD, and Tonino Pagnanelli, Sales & General Manager, were at the Seafood Expo Global in April, which was this year staged in Barcelona. The pair met customers and figures from across the sector – and got to spend a bit of time in the Catalan capital. Hard work, but someone has to do it…

Meet the Berlin NC 107

It is one of the most advanced fishing vessels on Earth – and will be catching fish for our customers.

The Collins Seafoods team recently visited Cuxhaven, in Germany, to see it christened.

It follows a 65m Euro investment into the state-of-the-art vessel from our parent company, Alda Seafood.

And not only does the Berlin feature unrivalled advanced technology but it is also far more energy-efficient than older ships.

With enhanced shrimp catching and processing capabilities, the vessel also produces more products on-board, while whitefish production has also been updated.

Designed to utilise every raw material caught most efficiently, it is equipped with two headers and two filleting machines, whilst a water-cutting machine removes bones from fillets which can be cut into whatever shape the market requires – be it portions, loins, or tails.

And the christening ceremony, it was Dr. Margareta Büning-Fesel, President of the German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), who proudly took on the role of the Berlin’s godmother by smashing a bottle of Champagne off the vessel.

Watching on was the Collins contingent, including MD Craig English, who was “delighted and honoured” to be part of the special ceremony.

“This multi-million-pound investment from our parent company Alda Seafood shows the faith that we all have in the UK frying trade and, with the vessel having the most up-to-date production facilities onboard, it means we can offer our customers exactly what they want,” he added.

“The fish is available now from our depots in County Durham and Leeds, make sure you ask your salesperson about the new Berlin!”

National Fish & Chip Day

Young or old, everyone loves a chippy tea.

So on National Fish and Chip Day, Church View Care Home was treated to an extra special fish supper.

We teamed up with our clients, Beedle’s Chippy, to help commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

There was a sentimental reason; fish and chips were one of the few meals that weren’t rationed during WW2.

So tucking into a delicious box of fish and chips definitely invoked some memories – and put lots of smiles on the residents’ faces.

“We were extremely proud to be involved in this initiative with James at Beedle’s Chippy,” said Craig English, Managing Director at Collins Seafoods.

“We know that James and his team provide fantastic fish and chips and I’m sure the residents at Church View thoroughly enjoyed them.”