This is what it takes to become Ireland's best young fishmonger

The national award is now in its fourth year and eight professionals have made the shortlist.

By Fora Staff August 29th 2016 5 min read

APART FROM KNOWING that eating fish is good for you, the business of selling it is probably one that is a little foreign to many.

Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the national seafood development agency, is seeking to change all that with this year’s inaugural Seafood Awards.

The awards themselves will take place on 17 November in the Clayton Hotel in Dublin, and they’ll encompass the sector as a whole.

But one of the most prestigious prizes on offer will be that of Young Fishmonger of the Year, with eight of the best young fish professionals from around the country shortlisted.

The eight finalists will vie for one of two awards: ’Independent seafood specialist of the year’ and ‘supermarket seafood counter of the year.’

The eight finalists

The award, now in its fourth year of existence, is aimed at “celebrating the skills of our seafood industry” according to Tara McCarthy, chief executive of BIM.

The seafood industry is worth €234 million each year, with more than 500 seafood counters dotted around the country, and it’s an industry the board wants to encourage further.

BIM describes fish as “the most on-trend protein in the market”. Which is all a little public relations-y, but you get the picture – seafood is big business right now.

The next two-and-a-half months will see the eight finalists being visited by judges to assess their seafood knowledge, skills, technique and customer service standards.

There’s also a final stage in late October which will require the contestants to “fillet and prepare a range of fish and shellfish under time constraints”.

These finalists will be put through their paces, that much is certain.

What does it take?

The contestants themselves are very happy indeed at the recognition that comes with the award. TheJournal.ie spoke to two of them, and it’s fair to say that passion for seafood is a common denominator.

Eimantas Zvirblis, originally from Lithuania but living here for the last 10 years, works on the fish counter at Donnybrook Fair in Malahide, north Dublin, which opened last December. He also eats fish every day.

“It means a lot actually,” the 27-year-old says of his nomination.

“It means that our quality of fish, customer service, and presentation is all at the top.”

Eimantas explains that he has been visited already “about four or five times” by judges.

“They want to be sure you know what’s fresh and what’s not,” he says.

He got into the industry after working for a smoked fish company and smoked fish remains his specialty.

“I was always passionate about food,” he says. “I would spend all of my day off cooking in the kitchen. I just really enjoy food.”

Eimantas Zvirblis

Source: Paul Sherwood

His favourite fish is seabass (“a really brilliant, nice fish”), and he says that smoked eel is his favourite undiscovered smoked seafood.

“It’s not legal in Ireland, but you can get them in Northern Ireland,” he says.

“It’s delicious. Many of my colleagues in Donnybrook Fair are now eating more fish, and many customers are telling me that they are eating more fish too. I believe that spreading this passion is a very important part of being a fishmonger.”

The independent retailer

Anne Stephens, meanwhile, is competing for the independent retailers’ award. The 32-year-old has quite the pedigree – she runs The Fish Market in Maynooth, Co Kildare, has two other shops in Blanchardstown and Mullingar, and her husband George is himself the reigning 2016 Young Fishmonger of the Year.

“I can’t believe I’ve got to the final, it’s very prestigious I think, I was very surprised,” she says. She may be surprised, but there’s a pedigree here – this is the third year running the company has been nominated for the award.

Anne says that her shop has seen a number of secret shoppers – professional shoppers who rate a store’s service and product incognito – in recent months before making the final eight, together with specialist judges who rated their species knowledge and freshness.

Anne Stephens

Source: Paul Sherwood

One thing that may surprise you about her – she didn’t eat fish until eight years ago.

“I eat it about six days a week now,” she says. “Black sole is my favourite.”

Her shop stocks at least 40 species of fish at any one time – turbot, brill, halibut, together with more common types like whiting and haddock. Anne stresses however that if there’s any kind of fish you want, she will aim to get it for you.

Her range now includes gluten-free products also. Whoever said fish products couldn’t keep up with the times?

“We’re all really busy,” she says.

“Once you have a good fresh product, your fish is fresh and you’re moving it all the time, that’s the main thing really.”