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Morrisons opens ‘UK’s largest fish freezing centre’ after £12.8m investment
The supermarket chain described the development as the “largest facility of its type in the UK”, with it capable of individually quick freezing up to 180 tonnes of sardines and other varieties of fish per day.
The £12.8m development is located on the premises of Cornish fishing business Falfish, which is owned by Morrisons manufacturing arm Myton Food Group.
Plans for the site began in 2021 following the acquisition of Falfish, a business that had supplied Morrisons for more than 16 years.
Falfish operates from three sites in Redruth and Falmouth docks on the south Cornish coast and employs 150 skilled fish specialists. Around 80 different species of fish are landed each day directly from 50 partner vessels, as well as from UK Fish Auctions and third-party suppliers across the UK and from around the world.
The opening of the facility, which also feature a tunnel that can freeze 112,000 fish per hour, represents the “largest single investment made in Cornish shoresides in a generation” and received £3.8m in funding from Defra through its UK Seafood Infrastructure Fund.
More than half of the fresh food sold in Morrisons stores is prepared and manufactured by Myton, with the new facility allowing for fresh fish to be frozen and packed in just an hour.
Myton managing director Andrew Thornber said that Morrisons has been excited about the project for the past three years and now hopes to make a “positive difference to the local industry and community”.
“Over 80% of the fish and shellfish sold in Morrisons stores comes from our seafood operations in Cornwall, where we buy directly from local fishermen,” Thornber added.
“Opening the UK’s largest fish freezing centre not only strengthens our position as one of Britain’s biggest food makers but also significantly grows our seafood export business.”
Meanwhile, Morrisons has announced plans to trial increasing the temperature of the freezers in 10 of its stores.
