delicious. Produce Award winner: The Ethical Shellfish Company

The Ethical Shellfish Company, from Scotland, won with their Hand-dived King Scallops.

The judges said: “Super-sweet, tender, and absolutely beautiful raw.”

British seafood – Scottish, in particular – is revered throughout Europe but is too often under-appreciated on home shores. Much of our domestic catch gains a higher value in export markets, so off it goes to France, Spain, Italy, Holland and further afield. But if anything can make Brits appreciate the home catch, it’s the family-run Ethical Shellfish Company, based on the Isle of Mull. 

Their scallops are fished to order, dived by hand (not dredged) by divers who operate from a low-fuel boat named Helanda. They’re then delivered to the customer’s door, typically within 24 hours of being caught. After grading, smaller specimens are returned to the sea, away from dredgers. The company is also establishing a fund to assist coastal communities to improve sea habitats. 

Scallops caught to order; ethicalshellfishcompany.co.uk