Portland Shellfish

Nick Assarati, his father Martyn and their dog Ralph moved to Portland in 1997 to set up a family shellfish business. Nick had previously worked for a few major fish suppliers in London and on the Essex coast, and knew the market to tap in to. Now they are the only fish business on Portland.

Ironically, Nick’s main business is with London restaurants, hotels and serious food shops, with a few select drops en route, like Chewton Glen. His local business is tiny, but he serves notable fish restaurants like The Riverside in West Bay. Of course, the local fishermen need someone like Nick, as he shifts a lot of shellfish each week, so much so that he also sources products like langoustines and scallops from Scotland. Nick likes to refer to their business as a ‘passive’ fishery in the opinion that the locals are all very aware of sustainability and the implications for their future livelihoods, for example always making a point of returning any undersized fish to the sea in a state that ensures they will survive.