Hooking customers with a healthy seafood message

Industry reputation campaign Seafood for Life kicks off 2025 with a call for businesses to shout about the health benefits of fish and shellfish

Seafood restaurants and takeaways have an exciting opportunity to attract and engage customers by highlighting the numerous health benefits of their dishes.

That’s the message from three multi-award-winning businesses recognised for their innovative approaches to promoting the health aspects fish and shellfish.

As the New Year sparks a focus on healthier living, Towngate Fisheries in Yorkshire, Fish City in Belfast and Something Else Fishy in Dorset are leading the way in highlighting seafood as a nutritious choice. They hope to inspire others in hospitality to weave health-focused messaging into their customer engagement.

The businesses’ efforts are part of Seafish’s new Seafood for Life initiative, which champions the benefits of fish and shellfish while celebrating industry best practice. Profiles of the three businesses are featured in the health section of the Seafood for Life web hub, alongside a blog by registered dietician Juliet Kellow outlining 10 healthy reasons to eat more seafood in 2025. There is an accompanying downloadable factsheet.

Businesses are invited to use these resources to help inform their own approaches to promoting seafood’s health benefits.

Explaining his rationale for promoting the healthy eating aspects of fish in his fish and chip shop, Towngate Fisheries owner Mark Drummond said: “One out of 10 customers might be interested in health, but if you can get to that extra 10% of customers, that can mean the difference between a business breaking even or making a good profit.”

John Lavery, owner of Fish City restaurant in Belfast said: “Fish is a healthy, natural protein, often with little or no processing. Government guidelines recommend a minimum of two portions per week, so I believe, from a promotional point of view, this provides an opportunity we should focus on.”

Nicki Else runs Something Else Fishy in Dorset. She explained: “For us, it’s about showcasing the wide range of benefits of seafood and fitting a health message into that. I would encourage other businesses to do something like this because it builds loyalty from your customers – they trust you because you are knowledgeable.”

Seafish Chief Executive Marcus Coleman said: “The aim of Seafood for Life is to showcase the benefits of seafood and the good work of the UK industry that produces it. We want to help businesses have informed conversations with their customers that encourage them to eat more fish and shellfish.

“As we begin 2025, we know many people are thinking about ways to be a bit healthier, so we’ve kicked off the year with a focus on the nutritional benefits of seafood. We’re highlighting great examples of businesses which are already successfully promoting the health aspects of their dishes and offering resources for the industry which we hope will inspire and inform their own activities.”