Ireland’s best young fishmongers: who are they and where do they work?

A good butcher should always be able to tell you where his meat comes from, who reared it and where it was slaughtered. Fishmongers don't always have that detailed provenance available to them, but Stephen Hurley, one of two newly crowned Bord Iascaigh Mhara Young Fishmongers of the Year, can tell his customers not only where their fish was caught, but also by whom.

Living in Union Hall in Co Cork, overlooking the pier, Hurley has been in the industry since he was a teenager, hauling shrimp pots every morning on his neighbour's shrimp boat.

For the past 14 years, he has worked for Glenmar Shellfish at The Fish Store, their factory fish shop in Union Hall.

This is the fourth time he has been a finalist in the Young Fishmonger competition, and he beat seven others to the title in the independent shop category.

Eimantas Zvirblis, who works at Donnybrook Fair in Malahide, Co Dublin, was the winner of the Young Fishmonger of the Year in the supermarket seafood specialist category.

Fish recipes

Zvirblis is from Lithuania, and has previously worked at the Dublin Smoked Fish company and at Nicky's Place in Howth. He enjoys cooking and sharing fish recipes with his customers, and says he eats fish seven days a week.

“Many of my colleagues in in Donnybrook Fair are now eating more fish and customers are telling me that they are eating more fish, too. I believe that spreading this passion is a very important part of being a fishmonger,” he says

As part of the judging process, the finalists were visited in the shop by members of the judging panel, who assessed their knowledge of seafood, understanding of quality issues and customer service skills.

They also had to fillet and prepare for sale a range of fish and seafood, under the watchful eyes of the judges.

Inaugural awards

The winners were presented with their awards at the inaugural National Seafood Awards on Thursday night in Dublin, where BIM also recognised the work of individuals and companies involved in the fishing, fish farming, seafood processing and retail sectors.

Barry Shaw from Killybegs, who completed the Class 3 Certificate in Competency in Engineering, at the National Fisheries College, Greencastle, Co Donegal, won the student of the year award.

The responsible fisherman of the year title was awarded to Jim Connolly, who fishes out of Clogherhead, Co Louth. The Lifetime Achievement award was given posthumously to Martin Howley, in recognition of his contribution to Ireland's seafood industry.

AWARDS WERE ALSO PRESENTED TO:

Blackshell Farm, Co Mayo (Aquaculture Environmental and Social Responsibility)

Island Seafoods, Co Donegal (Green processor of the year)

Foyle Warrior Ltd, Co Donegal (Best new fishing practice)

Dungarvan Shellfish Ltd (Innovation in aquaculture)

Oceanpath/Dunn's of Dublin, Co Dublin and Goatsbridge Trout, Co Kilkenny (Innovation in seafood)

DC Fish, Co Cork (Fishing enterprise of the year)

Kush Seafarms, Co Kerry (Aquaculture enterprise of the year)

Sofrimar, Co Wexford (Seafood enterprise of the year)