Fish-box scheme is picked for EU-wide piece of work

Creel Fish Club, operated by Amble-based Northumberland Seafood, has been selected by Newcastle University for a European-wide piece of work it is contributing to.

The study, entitled Strength2Food, is a five-year, €6.9million project to improve the effectiveness of EU food-quality schemes (FQS), public sector food procurement (PSFP) and to stimulate short food supply chains (SFSC) through research, innovation and demonstration activities.

It will undertake case study-based quantitative research to measure economic, environmental and social impacts of FQS, PSFP and SFSC. The impact of PSFP policies on balanced nutrition in schools will also be assessed.

Dr Barbara Tocco, from Newcastle University, is leading on the case study and she is really keen to get the input of Creel’s customers and is looking to have a more in depth conversation with willing contributors.

It isn’t just Creel Club members that can take part either. Anyone who has bought any fish from the Club can have a say.

The Creel Fish Club is a fish-box scheme where people can access quality, fresh, locally sourced, seasonal fish and seafood on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis.

The products can be picked up from a number of distribution points, including Northumberland Seafood Centre, Amble; Taste of Northumbria, Alnwick; and The Running Fox, Felton. The Creel Club fish-box pricing is based on the weight of box, from 1/2kg up to 2kg and how often customers would like to receive one.

The idea behind Creel Fish Club is to try to take the strain off over-fished stocks, introduce customers to new types of fish and seafood and help to support the inshore fishing fleet.

If you would be interested in speaking to Dr Tocco to help with the study, email her at [email protected] or to fill in the online survey, visit tinyurl.com/y85hna8x

To find more out about the research project, visit www.strength2food.eu

For more information about Creel Fish Club, visit northumberlandseafood.co.uk