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The humble sprat and neglected flounder are launching at Waitrose supermarkets to generate new enthusiasm for these unloved fish.
Cornish sprats and Welsh flounder are good value British alternatives to many better-known varieties of oily and white fish. But these local delicacies are often overlooked and - in the case of Welsh flounder - discarded and thrown back into the sea.
Welsh flounder, a white flat fish, will make its UK supermarket debut at Waitrose in late February priced at GBP 8.99 (USD 13.90 – EUR 10.80) per kilo of fillets. That compares to GBP 12.99 per kilo (USD 20.20 – EUR 15.60) currently charged for lemon sole fillets, making Welsh flounder a good value alternative.
Waitrose Specialist Fish Buyer Jeremy Ryland Langley said: “Welsh flounder is often discarded but we think this is a great tasting fish that is a fantastic alternative to other white fish such as plaice and lemon sole. Waitrose is trying to create a new market for a fish that is currently discarded and thrown away. We are very keen to introduce new species in the market where we can to ease the pressure on some of our more popular and well-known fish, and I think Welsh flounder will be very popular.”
Whole Cornish sprats, which have the scientific name Sprattus Sprattus, will appear in around 100 Waitrose branches in late January priced at just GBP 4.99 per kilo (7,76 USD – EUR 5,99). Waitrose previously stocked the omega 3-rich fish but stopped because customers preferred sardines and mackerel.
Jeremy explained: “We sold them in the past but they have fallen out of favour, with sardines becoming the more popular of these small species of oily fish. Sprats have had an unglamorous reputation but they are nice little fish that are highly nutritious and can be used in recipes calling for sardines. They're also great value for money.”
They are best cooked simply either under the grill or dusted with flour and then fried.
Cornish sprats and Welsh flounder are both caught by in-shore day boats using responsible fishing methods. Waitrose has also developed and launched a full range of own label canned tuna produced using pole and line caught fish only.
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