Organic bacon made without nitrates. Here’s what you need to know.
SOLE OF DISCRETION: WHAT IS IT?
Sole of Discretion is a collective of small-scale fishers fishing out of Plymouth harbour, delivering a range of high-quality and delicious fish to your door.
You can choose from a whole range of beautiful species that aren’t generally stocked in supermarkets. There’s ling, pollack, pouting, ray, as well as crab meat and hand-dived scallops. Orders that come to more than ÂŁ55 are delivered pretty much anywhere in the UK free of charge. You can also find the fish on Abel & Cole.
Founder Caroline Bennett is the owner of the UK’s first Japanese-style conveyor belt sushi-joint Moshi Moshi. The restaurant is a hidden gem, tucked away at the back of Liverpool Street station that has had the same head chef for 25 years. But let’s just keep this little secret between us, yeah?
SOLE OF DISCRETION: HOW SUSTAINABLE IS IT?
Bennett set up Sole of Discretion out of “exasperation” that truly sustainable fish options weren’t available to shoppers.
The most sustainable fishing methods are pole and line, using size-specific static nets, or using lobster and crab pots. Fishing this way means that everything that gets caught can be used and waste is minimal.
These methods minimise the damage done to the marine environment. Bennett insists all her fish are caught by the under 10 metre, small-inshore boats, selling everything her fishermen catch through Sole of Discretion, even if they’re not certified by the Marine Stewardship Council or are red-rated by the Marine Conservation Society.
“For us, the method of catch and the area it’s caught in is far more important than the species being caught,” says Bennett. “We’re looking at the entire eco-system, while the MSC and MCS mainly look at stock.”
It’s a difficult message to convey. That’s why Bennett is working with the marine biology department at Exeter University to create a universal Soil Association certification. Bennett is a valued advisor to Live Frankly on all fish and ethical business issues.
SOLE OF DISCRETION: HOW DOES IT WORK?
You can buy Sole of Discretion’s fresh fish through other delivery box services like Abel & Cole, or you can choose exactly what you want on the online shop.
