Morrisons on Monday confirmed that it is launching its own seafood processing operation in Grimsby, acquiring a vacated facility in Grimsby’s Europarc and bringing around 200 jobs to the fishing port.
The retailer, the United Kingdom’s fourth largest, with more than 450 stores, expects to produce 10,000 metric tons of fresh and frozen seafood at the site annually one it’s up and running by year’s end, according to a Grimsby Telegraph report. Salmon, cod, haddock, coldwater shrimp and surmi are among the products that will be produced at the facility, according to a report in foodmanufacture.co.uk.
Morrisons said in a press release it will be the only major food retailer to source fish direct from the quayside and process it for sale across the country. The acquisition is part of a larger strategy of manufacturing more of the fresh food that it sells in its stores.
“This will deliver mouth-wateringly fresh fish into our stores. Nobody else is buying direct from the quayside but we’re doing it. Building this seafood business will allow us to move our fish from ‘catch to kitchen’ even more quickly, giving our customers fantastic quality seafood products at stunning prices,” said Morrisons CEO Dalton Philips.
Morrisons has already appointed Frank Green, previously of Young’s, as head of seafood trading. The facility will be run by Managing Director Howard Sims and Head of Operations Rob Smith. Sims has 46 years of experience in the food industry, while Smith has a broad knowledge of seafood and has worked on product development with Marks & Spencer. The retailer will also soon hire a fisheries and aquaculture specialist to further develop its credentials in sustainable sourcing.
