Loch Fyne restaurants - Our philosophy

Nach Urramach an Cuan (How worthy of honour is the sea)

This Gaelic saying encapsulates our philosophy – enterprise with respect for animals, people and ecology.

We are passionate about our business and passionate about delivering quality and flavour. No-one works harder than we do to make sure that every oyster we harvest, every salmon we prepare and every fish that leaves our shops and kitchens is cultivated, farmed or fished in accordance with our strict environmental and quality guidelines.

We take advice from respected marine bodies regarding the fish and seafood we serve. Where species are not plentiful we will find alternatives.

There is a huge amount of information available today on fish stocks and over-fishing and Loch Fyne Restaurants and its suppliers work with environmental bodies such as the Marine Conservation Society to keep abreast of the latest data and act accordingly.

We never have and never will serve fish from endangered stocks – all the seafood used in the restaurants is derived from a sustainable resource, either wild or farmed responsibly. In fact, through our partnership with the Marine Conservation Society, we were the first restaurant group to remove species such as swordfish from the menus due to their ‘at risk’ status.

Sometimes wild fish are not available and we need to look for farmed alternatives. Salmon are a good example as wild salmon stocks are now so low that commercial fishing cannot be justified.

We strongly believe that farming IS an option when done correctly. Sustainable methods, high standards of welfare and low intensity all produce farmed salmon of excellent quality. For us, working with companies that employ these high-benchmark farming methods is not a luxury but a necessity.