FRESH IS BEST
BRIXHAM HAS LONG BEEN ONE OF THE SOUTH COAST’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS FISHING PORTS. ITS MARITIME HISTORY DATES AS FAR BACK AS THE MIDDLE AGES WHEN IT WAS THE LARGEST FISHING PORT IN THE SOUTH WEST. THIS TRADITION LIVES ON WITH EACH NEW GENERATION OF FISHERMEN STRIVING TO KEEP THE PORT ALIVE
O
ne of the most well- respected businesses in the town is David Walker and Son, a family run fresh fish merchant
established in 1989 by David and his son Neil.
David is the son of a Grimsby fisherman and has been in the fish trade since 1958. He began working with fish in Grimsby before moving to the Midlands and finally to Brixham, where although now officially retired, he still comes in to lend a hand on the weekends.
Neil has now largely taken over from his father; he started working in the family business at the tender age of 17. He has witnessed many changes to the fishing industry since then. When he started out there were 50 trawlers and 75 day boats landing in Brixham quay.
Today there are 20 trawlers and only 30 day boats, so the fleet has more than halved in fewer than 25 years. Neil puts this down to tighter laws on fishing quotas as the amount of fish they’re allowed to catch has decreased substantially. This has had a direct effect on the wholesale value of fish, with prices rocketing over the past few years. Despite the clear change in economic fortunes, Brixham’s boats work hard to keep the industry alive and the town has the largest financial turnover in fish in England.
Every morning begins with a visit to Brixham’s world-famous fish market, where the viewing of that day’s catch takes place before the 6am auction begins. It is here that Neil will buy only the best fish and shellfish before taking it back to their premises to prepare. The team of highly skilled fishmongers are
ready and waiting to gut, fillet and pack all manner of fish and shellfish as soon as it arrives. Time is of the essence to ensure only the freshest produce reaches their customers.
In the early days, David Walker and Son operated from a pitch under the Harbour Master’s office on the old quay. More recently they have benefited from the £26 million regeneration of the area and were the first business to move into the new quay buildings. Managing to secure a European grant also gave them the opportunity to install the latest refrigeration units. These can be monitored and serviced 24 hours a day via Neil’s iPhone – something he loves! “It has been vital to keep up with the modern day in order to stay afloat as a business,” explains Neil. This is something that David Walker and Son has certainly done, embracing social
56 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
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