Beauty of ugly fish

09 May 2012

Niche city fine dining business Lusso has launched "Ugly Fish Friday" in a stand against the North Sea fishing quota system that sees half of all the fish caught there thrown back, dead.

Every Friday, Lusso locations will feature a variety of "Ugly Fish" on the menu, cooked to order in a choice of ways. Less pretty and fashionable than their more glamorous but increasingly overfished cousins, Lusso’s Ugly Fish are as good to eat as they are unlovely to look at. Most importantly, they are all species on the Marine Stewardship Council’s approved list of sustainable fish, sourced through Lusso’s supplier Seafood Direct. As part of the initiative, and to underline the "Ugly Fish" sustainability message, Lusso is naming the dayboat and skipper whose catch is on offer, even specifying the harbour at which the fish were landed.

Lusso Managing Director Paul Hurren (pictured with an ugly fish) who came up with the "Ugly Fish Friday" concept having been inspired by "Hugh’s Fish Fight" commented: "70% of assessed fish stocks in large parts of the EU are overfished, and yet many delicious, sustainable fish species are currently overlooked and under-used by chefs and thus under-ordered by diners. We are helping to change this by putting our talented chefs to work, demonstrating that Cod, Halibut and Seabass are not the only choices, and that there are literally plenty more delicious fish in the sea."

"Ugly Fish Friday" was launched at Lusso’s client Investec restaurant and will roll out across the Lusso estate of restaurants within banks, accountancy, law and insurance firms. More than 70 portions of Megrim Sole, Pollock, Plaice and Sardine were served during the first Ugly Fish Friday at Investec, with supplies actually selling out.