Landing a Saturday job at his village fishmongers in 1996, 15-year-old Claygate schoolboy Matt Clift simply had his eye on earning extra pocket money.
Nearly a quarter of a century later, he’s not only still there – he now owns the place.
“I love fish, we eat loads of it at home,” Matt tells me. “I also love chatting to people – they come in with their cookbooks and we’re more than happy to prepare the fish just how they need it for the recipe.”
Established in 1989 by brothers Martin and Ian Williams – who owned the nearby butchers – and expert fishmonger Brian Bunkell, the shop has long been renowned for its top-quality fish and great customer service.
Matt went on to buy the business 11 years ago, and today runs it with manager Mark Bean, who has worked there since 1999. Both trained on the job, and their level of skill is highly appreciated.
“We can help with preparation, such as gutting and descaling, which can be very messy,” says Matt, who assures me that he and Mark are not at all fazed by such jobs.
“Knowing we can do this, it encourages people to be more adventurous when it comes to buying fresh fish.”
And, as any chef worth their salt will confirm, freshness is of paramount importance when it comes to seafood.
At Williams and Bunkell, much of the stock is on their slab only 24 hours after being landed.
As well as sourcing from Scotland, renowned for fishing due to its clean, cold waters, Matt also sells catches from Newhaven and Bournemouth, where seabass, Dover sole and mackerel are at their best during the summer months.
“Being an oily fish, mackerel is really good on the barbecue,” he tells me. “I’d suggest just drizzling it with oil and lemon juice, and then giving it a really good season with plenty of paprika, salt and pepper. Those cooking baskets work very well, and we usually have them in stock, but you can just put the fish directly on the grill.”
It’s not only freshness that matters, but sustainability, too.
“We favour fish that has been line-caught by a day boat,” explains Matt. “Not from super-trawlers which act like hoovers and rake out tonnes and tonnes of stock from the sea.”
At the time of writing, the business is adapting to increased demand due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
It’s good to know, however, that this has not really affected supplies, as the day boats are still operating – it’s those super-trawlers which have had to curtail their activities due to decreased demand from the catering trade.
The crisis has had an effect on customer numbers, though, with lots of new people arriving at the shop – many eager to try their hand at a recipe, taste their famed home-smoked salmon, or learn more about the art of cooking fish.
Matt welcomes them all, and says his only regret is not having as much time to spend with each person during these busy days.
To support the community during lockdown, he and Mark have also expanded their local delivery service to accommodate the needs of the vulnerable and elderly.
When he manages some precious time off, Matt likes to spend it with his wife Tanya and 12-year-old daughter Emilia.
So, how are they are planning to celebrate National Fish and Chip Day? “We’ll be going to the local fish and chip shop, The Claygate Fish Inn,” he laughs. Which just goes to show that you can’t get too much of a good thing.
- This article originally appeared in Local Food Britain's monthly Meet the Producer food and drink column in Surrey Life magazine.
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