Marine / Island Fish celebrated for delivering quality from ‘sea to plate’
A LERWICK fishmonger is celebrating after being championed for its dedication to delivering fish from “sea to plate”.
Island Fish, which is based at Gremista, was named the winner of the Sea to Plate Provenance award at the 2025 Fishmonger of the Year awards, as awarded by the National Federation of Fishmongers.
The business often displays information about where their fish has come from, which helps customers choose species caught by local boats.
Island Fish’s Willum Tulloch said that was key in helping the fishmongers to land their Sea to Plate prize.
“I think that seems to be what folk likes keening, exactly where it comes fae,” he told Shetland News.
“It plays a big part in what sells here.”
Some of Island Fish’s offerings are even caught by Willum and his dad, John Martin Tulloch, aboard their own boat Adventure LK560.
He said they were told of the award last Thursday by email.
“We filled in a great series of different paperwork in May for it, and then never heard anything back so just thought, ‘that’ll be it’.
“Then last Thursday we got the email through to say we had won.
“We’re proud to be selected by them.”
Willum said it was great “to be recognised for all the hard hours we put in”.
“There’s a lot of long hours that goes into it week after week, so it’s good to see something for that,” he added.
He was at the fishing for three years before coming to work at Island Fish with his dad.
They have had Adventure for the past two years, and the pair like to catch their own produce when they have the chance.
“We just do that when the weather allows and when we have time to go aff,” he said.
“Not everything here is caught by the boat.”
Haddock and smoked haddock are “by a country mile” the best selling species at the Gremista shop, Willum said, with monkfish and plaice ever popular too.
“We do send a fair bit of stuff away too, mostly cod, which goes to Ireland. We send a lot of whitings and salmon too.
“Lemon sole goes to Peterhead, which they do land there, but it’s not the same quality as we get here.”
Willum added that Island Fish would be “really busy” from now until Christmas, particularly with orders for salmon – a festive favourite.
He said they would prepare about 300 salmon fillets a week from now until the big day – and sometimes even more.
“For two or three weeks up to Christmas we’ll do double that, about 600 fillets,” he explained.
“It’s a good boost, but it’s a lot of work when you’re already busy.”
Willum thanked all of Island Fish’s customers for being so “loyal to us” and supporting them, and for their thanks in the aftermath of their award win this week.
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