Grimsby, United Kingdom-based prepared salmon product manufacturer JCS Fish has received British Retail Consortium (BRC) “AA” grade standard certification.
The company, which produces value-added salmon products for retailers under the BigFish brand, said increased its certification standard this year over last year’s “A” rating.
The BRC Global Standards are part of an independently audited safety and quality certification program currently used by 22,000 certificated food suppliers in 123 countries. Many major supermarkets in the U.K. require the certification from their suppliers.
"We are all delighted to have passed the even more rigorous AA standard this year, which is testament to the continued dedication of our hard-working team in Grimsby,” JCS Director Louise Coulbeck said in a press release. “As our business grows, BRC ‘AA’ grade is vital for underlining our reliability to potential customers and demonstrates that JCS Fish is achieving the very highest standards of safety, quality and legal compliance."
In addition, the company announced its BigFish-brand Sea Trout Fillets has received a Great Taste Award from the Guild of Fine Food. The awards are a benchmark in the U.K. for fine food and drink, highlighting products receiving high marks in flavor, presentation, and overall quality, as determined by a team of highly qualified judges and food writers.
“BigFish Sea Trout is made with a strain of farmed rainbow trout which is slow grown at sea, producing a fish with full marine flavor and firm flesh that is an excellent alternative to farmed Atlantic salmon,” the company said in a press release.
The product was added to the BigFish range last year as individually wrapped frozen fillets of fish which can be poached in the pack, microwaved or baked straight from frozen, according to the company.
“The products are a highly convenient option for time-poor consumers looking for healthy meal ideas,” Coulbeck said. "It is fantastic to have our faith in sea trout reinforced by this award. The fish is still relatively unknown in the U.K. market, it has its own flavor and character and we felt it deserved to be made more widely available. Like salmon, it is rich in omega-3 [fatty acids] and it complements our range perfectly."
JCS Fish said that its sea trout fillets are now available through online supermarket Ocado, and are also sold at independent stores across the country. In addition, the company said it also recently launched smoked sea trout and a new chilled smoked salmon product.
JCS Fish has an annual turnover of around GBP 7 million (USD 9.1 million, EUR 7.6 million) and employs around 40 people at its headquarters on Murray Street at the Grimsby Fish Docks.
