A Greendale Guide to Buying Fresh Fish

• "First, it sounds odd, but really fresh fish doesn’t smell ‘fishy’ (a slight smell of the sea is OK, but I always avoid strong-smelling fish).
• Eyes that are clear and bright are a good sign of freshness, along with gills that look pink or red, with distinct, feathery-looking edges - I don't select fish with cloudy or sunken eyes, or grey/brown slimy gills.
• A thin layer of clear, fresh-smelling slime on the fish’s body is actually a good thing, as it shows the fish died recently. Slime that isn’t clear, smells and is sticky is a very bad sign, and not something you'll ever find on our fish counter!
• If I'm double-checking for freshness, I'll give the fish a gentle poke in the fleshiest part of its body, to see if the flesh is still firm. The fresher the fish, the harder its flesh will feel – really fresh fish is surprisingly stiff, so if my finger leaves an indent in the fish, I don’t select it.
• Generally, I get a good idea of freshness just by looking at a fish - if its eyes are bright, its gills are red or pink and clearly defined, and its scales and skin are still vibrant and shiny, it's going on the Greendale fish counter!"

Ethan and his team select the best for our fish counter, and they’re responsible for preparing each daily catch for sale, from filleting and de-boning to cooking and portioning. This expertise is passed on to all our customers, online or in person, because everything we sell on our fish counter is also available on our website. The team are always happy to answer any queries - just call our Farm Shop on 01395 232836, or send us an email at info@greendale.com).