Description
We are Nick and Michelle Legg. We opened the fish deli in 2004. It was always our dream to open somewhere that would reflect our passion for great local food – and especially great fish.
Nick is a fully qualified chef who began his training in Plymouth , and started working in the city’s large hotels, which gave him a very sound classical training ( a proper apprenticeship - for instance whole sides of Angus Beef would be delivered for butchering!) He later moved on to the Holiday Inn. At the time the Holiday Inn were buying their fish pre-packed from large wholesalers despite being only a five minute walk from the quay where fish were landed fresh daily!
Though he was only 18 at the time he suggested to the head chef that he begin buying all the fish locally – he was given a budget and began to source all the fish for the hotel at Plymouth fish market. Many of the fishermen we deal with now have known Nick since then.
Sharing a passion for fish sourced from local day boats and selected with marine conservation in mind
Nick continued as a professional chef for a number of years before joining the College of Further Education as a chef lecturer.
We've both had a lifetime of experience with food. Michele's parents owned the Marquee Restaurant in Plymouth in the late 60s and 70s which was inspired by Elizabeth David and which attracted local food luminaries such as Joyce Molyneux, Tom Jaine and Sonia Stevenson. Michele later formally qualified in hotel management, but transferred her management skills to fashion retailing and has a wealth of experience in opening and merchandising shops for large department stores.
We were inspired many years ago by Vin Sullivan's legendary food emporium in Abergavenny – we enjoyed many pilgrimages there and also ate regularly at Franco Tarushio's Walnut Tree restaurant nearby.
We've tried to create with the fish deli that special feel for wanting to visit somewhere exclusive and we will hopefully build a reputation as a food destination, a place that is memorable for people visiting as it is for those who live locally.
We have a good knowledge of Ashburton, as Nick was a chef in a wonderful restaurant here about 15 years ago. The restaurant was very successful people came from far and wide, as well as a very good local trade.
So we decided that although retailing conditions for small shops, particularly selling fish in a Moorland town (are we mad?!) is not generally good, we thought if we could offer something special and of really high quality, we would not be competing with the hum drum of the Supermarkets.
It’s a feast for all the senses, If you haven’t visited us yet come and see us soon, we’ve got delicious smells of cooking food to tempt you in, outstanding olives, delicious deli, and lots of interesting and innovative things.
We are a delicatessen specialising in all things fishy and much, much more. The shop was set up in 2004 and is run by Nick and Michele Legg.
We are based in Ashburton an ancient Dartmoor Stannary town, only minutes from the A38 expressway connecting Exeter , Torbay and Plymouth . It's an ideal spot for a coffee or for supplies, if you're holidaying in South Devon or on your way to Cornwall.
We sell the freshest fish imaginable, sourced locally and with conservation in mind.
Our incredible range of fresh fish is sourced daily from Brixham and Plymouth fish markets , and whenever possible we buy from West Country day fishing boats. We also have line-caught sea bass and mackerel when available. We sell prime fish only and try to avoid using fish that has been caught using deep-sea trawling or pair net trawling.
Mussels and oysters are direct from the River Teign; local hand picked Diver scallops when available, while lobster and crab are caught using traditional pots, by a local fisherman, who brings them straight from Start Bay near Dartmouth to the shop. We also stock to order Isles of Scilly lobster.
Our smoked fish is from the award-winning Tregida Smokehouse in Launceston, We also stock a range of smoked fish from other local smokeries and some favourites from smokehouses such as Bleikers (one of Rick Stein's Food Heroes), and the infamous, delicious Manx Kippers.
We also stock:
• An outstanding range of olives that we prepare and marinate ourselves
• Delicious deli food from local Cornish chilli sauces to exotic saffron
• Classy cookware from pastel pink iron pots to rustic earthenware tagines and lovely local pottery
• Culinary necessities like oyster knives, lobster pickers, fish scalers and tweezers, to make preparing, cooking and eating a real pleasure.
• You can even decant your own single estate, extra virgin Spanish olive oil - either into your own bottle or one of our traditional glass bottles.
Nick's background as a chef and a chef/ lecturer at the C.F.E, means that we can also offer delicious hot and cold dishes prepared on the premises for you to take home. Our dish of the week could be anything from bouillabaise to zarzuela – and our Brixham crab cakes and home-made taramasalata have become legendary! We also make larger quantities to stock the freezer, for you to take home, including our luxury fish pie.
And if you're looking for something special let us know and we can source it for you
Our fish buying policy
The issues involved in sustainable fishing are sometimes difficult to grasp. While there is undoubtedly a need to think more carefully about which fish we buy there are conflicting ideas regarding what the best methods of conservation are. The bottom line is that fishing communities need to carry on and so alternatives to current fishing practices need to be adopted.
It is true to say that over-fishing has depleted stocks of certain fish like cod and haddock, while pelagics (mackerel, sprats, herring and sardines) are relatively plentiful.
But to say that one fish is OK to eat than another is to oversimplify. To buy fish ethically means taking into account a whole range of issues such as how and where the fish was caught.
For example, we avoid fish that has been caught using deep-sea trawling or pair net trawling. These methods of fishing are indiscriminate and catch whole populations in one swoop – as well as a whole host of other species.
Atlantic Cod is undoubtedly a fish species that is a cause of concern - we buy only locally caught cod that is sustainable and we encourage our customers to try delicious cod alternatives such as Pollack, Coley and mid water Ling
Traceability is extremely important to guaranteeing the fish we buy is sustainable. We try to only buy fish from local day boats and more often than not know the names of the boats and the method of fishing that has been used. In the summer months we frequently have line caught fish delivered straight to our door from local fishermen.
We try to help people make the right choices without being overbearing or patronising and are happy to answer any questions about where our fish or seafood comes from.
Why we buy from local day boats?
We buy from Brixham, Plymouth, Newlyn and Looe.
We never buy from one fish quay as you cannot rely on a supply of top quality day boat fish, or a good variety, by buying from only one source.
A lot of fish bought from the markets, is not always local fish
We also have one boat that supplies us with line caught fish from Dartmouth.
Day boats are small, independent boats that, as the name suggests, go out to sea and return the same day. This guarantees they are only catching from local waters where populations are more sustainable and, due to the small scale of their operations, means they are not overly depleting stocks of fish using industrial fishing methods. This fish is of the highest quality and is reflected in the higher market price it achieves.
This compares to the “Beamers”. These are large fishing vessels that go out to sea for 6 – 10 days at a time and catch enormous quantities of fish from a much wider geographical area. Because they fish using industrial methods, it means they can bring in fish 20 – 30% cheaper.
Yet, there are a number of major drawbacks – first of all they fish indiscriminately and while they may target large shoals of a particular species they will catch anything that comes into the nets.
Secondly, the sheer scale of the operation means that whole populations can be devastated.
Lastly, the fish they catch has to be put on ice to preserve freshness, which means by the time you buy the fish (usually in the supermarkets who enjoy the lower cost of this fishing method) it has been on ice for anything up to two weeks.
If a fish is iced for long enough it starts losing the texture of the flesh, the skin won’t crisp up and the flavour leeches out. Even if you’re not concerned about the ethics of the catch, you’ll certainly notice the difference in quality.
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