From its smokehouse in Berwick, The Pished Fish combines the delicious nutritional goodness of premium Scottish slow-cured smoked salmon with the very best spirits and botanicals.
This quirky start-up business began as a hobby for owner James Eagle in a tiny smoke-house at the bottom of his garden.
Four years later and The Pished Fish range can be found in the top luxury food halls of London’s Selfridges, Fortnum and Mason and Waitrose.
Business grant
To prepare for scaling up his production to meet projected growth and the increase in demand for his range, James applied for a council-backed business grant to purchase a specialist chilling van.
The van enabled James to cut the costs of using expensive courier companies, fulfil an increase in orders and achieve a high level of food safety accreditation.
James said, “The van had a huge impact on our business, providing the ultimate opportunity to cover a larger geographical area and cater to a larger client base than ever before.
“We now deliver a higher volume of produce to our high-end retailers, with distance and third-party costs no longer a barrier.”
Strength to strength
Since then the Sussex salmon company has gone from strength to strength.
“We’ve moved into larger premises on the same site”, said James. “And we’re now supplying Ocado and more Waitrose stores”.
“This year we’re planning to maintain this success, hopefully moving into more stores,” he added.
Company growth
And it’s not just James who has benefited from funding and support.
Business grants, managed by East Sussex County Council and its partners, have boosted many other local firms. Thousands of pounds – including funding from the European Union – has been handed out to aid company growth, helping to create hundreds of new jobs across the county.
Find out more about the Pished Fish and their products
Find out more about business grants in East Sussex
