Is Undyed Understood?

The trials and tribulations of a fishmonger!! You spend 4 years selling smoked haddock from Grimsby, never really that happy with it, never really knowing much about it, then all of a sudden it happens. A new product appears in front of you. Smoked haddock daily fresh from Cornwall with that amazing freshly smoked smell. But there is a problem? Likened to the farmed/farmed organic salmon scenario where the organic, much the newer product, has attempted to distinguish itself by being a much paler colour, the ‘undyed’ smoked haddock has become almost white over the past few years; the natural colour of smoked fish is a dull orange/yellow. Now it is understood the dying of smoked haddock started in the second world war when the discharge of smoke into the air was seen as ‘come and bomb us smoke signals'. Not sure how true this is as very little fishing was undertaking throughout this period so not sure how much haddock was really available to smoke. However, dyed smoked haddock is a very bright yellow colour, not that unlike the natural product that is more orange. So the problem that now occurs is that returning to the original undyed smoked haddock seems frowned upon as its colour is likened to the supermarket dyed haddock and far removed from the white, rather dry product many have been selling. The face pulled by the lady customer today said it all. 'We were lying and this smoked haddock was obviously dyed, but being sold as undyed'. It’s a shame that an element are so stubborn and naive that they are unwilling to listen to or accept a description or explanation. Her loss. If you pass by our shop pop in and buy some. I generally would not use this blog as a sales pitch, but this smoked haddock may just make you realise the difference between conformity and quality.

The natural colour of this top quality product can be viewed at the Through the gaps blog that centres around the Newlyn fishing industry