No more “No More” for newly named Rockfisher

Rockfish, the award winning South West coastal seafood group announced last year a collaboration with local skipper Nick Rich and boat owners Nick Fisher and Jamie McDonald - to purchase all the fish from their boat, previously known as ‘No More’, which fishes in waters local to the group’s restaurants.

Today they announce that the boat is to be given a new name, as voted for by Rockfish customers, staff and suppliers. And the overwhelmingly favourite choice of name - gaining over 80% of votes cast - is ‘Rockfisher’.

Mitch, restaurateur and founder of Rockfish and The Seahorse, said “Based in Brixham and skippered by Nick Rich our beautiful blue boat takes to the seas every day that weather permits and we cook up her entire catch, and serve it to our customers within 24 hours! Nick lands his fish directly outside our Brixham restaurant every night, and we supplement his catch with other local species which we buy daily from Brixham Fish market.

Our mission is to serve locally caught fish, as fresh as can possibly be , which has been taken from our local waters employing the most responsible and sustainable methods.

The BBC series on the lives of fishermen in Mevagissey has caught the public imagination and it’s great to see their local story covered on national television.

Our skipper Nick is the same breed, a young South West fishermen trying to make a living in a challenging and often isolated environment. While doing something he genuinely loves.”

Plans are afoot to develop the relationship further and increase the number of Rockfish dedicated boats. The aim is to help the skippers and crew achieve the best prices for the best quality and freshest fish. And in so doing help sustain the livelihood of the skipper, his crew and this vital and dynamic local fishing industry.

Nick Fisher says of the relationship.

“Only people closely related with fishing boats and markets, like Mitch and his team, really understand how hard skippers need to work. And sadly, so often the best fish is sold at silly low market prices, with middle men reaping all the profits. Mitch’s dedicated vessel scheme, from boat to plate, means that at last fishermen receive a proper reward for catching the finest of fish”.

Rockfish opened a restaurant in Dorset on Poole Quay on Monday 27th January.

Rockfish is unique on the south coast offering a casual dining experience that specialises in seafood, the restaurants are not only close to the fishing port of Brixham, which lands the most species in England

(over 40) but each of their restaurants is in view of the sea and the coast. “Fish tastes better by the sea,” says Mitch, and we have a menu that encourages people to try something new”.