In a visit to Newlyn a snippet by a BBC Radio 4 Today reporter revealed how gurnard isn't just for the wealthy but may be on offer at many up-country fish and chip shops.

He said the often-sizeable by-catch of gurnard was now handled with far greater care. When taken aboard stern trawlers and beam trawlers nowadays, gurnard are no longer scoffed at as pocket money but may be the icing on the cake.

Helping to offload the day's catch, a Newlyn trawler skipper told the reporter how a fish that ten years ago was nothing more than bait for crab fishermen is now a considerable boost to his earnings. At times large gurnard fetched a first sale value of over £4/kg. "It can mean £700, perhaps more, to us in a trip," he said.

UK fish lovers have lagged behind their French counterparts, who for decades have accepted gurnard as one of the North Atlantic's tastiest fish, but it may now be widely on sale at UK fish and chip shops if the media forges ahead with its promotion.

The reporter served gurnard goujons to local folk waiting for their cod and chips. He said finding the public's response to gurnard at a high-end fish restaurant wasn't fair, as most connoisseurs already rated it on a par or higher with bass. Those who tasted the gurnard - referred to by the BBC as the new "ugly fish from Cornwall" - were surprised. "I really like that and would definitely try it again," one customer said.

article copyright WESTERN MORNING NEWS 

Comments (0)