More reasons to eat Grimsby processed seafood across UK
THE first meals featuring Morrisons' seafood – and processed in Grimsby – have landed on plates around the country.
A team of 90 are now working at the Europarc plant, preparing the cod, haddock and salmon for the wet fish counters of 470 superstores.
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Head of seafood operations Rob Smith, left, and managing director of seafood operations Howard Sims, celebrate that production is underway at the Morrisons Manufacturing site on Europarc, Grimsby. Picture: Jon Corken
Initial supplies went into Morrisons outlets yesterday, after a dedicated shift worked from 5am to 8pm on Sunday to see off the first lorries.
Grimsby food industry logistics giant Quayside has won the contract to handle the distribution, with a trickle feed from factory gate to Grimsby Fish Market, where depot deliveries nationwide are managed from. Howard Sims, managing director of Morrisons Manufacturing – Grimsby, said: "I am absolutely delighted. I think it has gone remarkably well for a start-up business."
2 4 1 on all items on the steak and grill menu served monday to saturday
Terms:
Monday - Saturday 12noon - 8pm
cheapest item credited for free
Management reserve the right to withdraw the offer at anytime.
not to be used in conjunction with anyother offer.
Contact: 01472 808799
Valid until: Saturday, June 15 2013
Praise has been lavished on the town for ensuring it could happen so swiftly, with staff and companies who have gained new work at the former Kwoks premises on Pegasus Way, singled out.
Mr Sims said: "Training has been good over the last four to five weeks and everyone was working so hard, I have never seen anything like it. We had people working from 5am to 8pm. They were asked at the end of the shift if they wanted to go, but they said 'no, we'll see it through' – it was fantastic.
"People must not underestimate what has been achieved. We only bought this property in March, it has been unbelievable. The relationships we have had have been very positive. I am delighted with the workforce we have got, and then from Anglian Water to the local council, the planning officers, and the environmental health officers, all have had input and all have been positive – even down to the drainage authority."
The initial team of 90, which includes staff smoking cod, haddock and salmon, will soon be bolstered as the working day is increased.
Two shifts are already on the white fish processing, with a second to be added to the salmon line. That will take the head count to 110, with the opening of a high-care shellfish element planned for November, adding a further 40.
Some simple pre-packaged added value work will also begin in the near future.
By then, 130 tonnes of seafood a week will leave Grimsby for the supermarkets, with much sourced directly from Norway and Iceland, as well as the town's recently-refurbished market.
Principal contractor Intelect Engineering, of Grimsby, town electrical contractor Wil-Lec and Humberston's Central Insulations were all praised for keeping to a strict deadline, which Mr Sims explained was in order to be fully prepared for the Christmas peak, with Grimsby Institute assisting with training at the neighbouring Humber Seafood Institute.
He said: "I didn't want to let it slip. Any later than the end of September would have been affecting the training period we need to put into the high care facility.
"That would have run over Christmas and then people would have started running scared and we wouldn't have opened until January," he said. "It was important we kept to early September."
Head of operations Rob Smith, who with Mr Sims put the proposal to Morrisons, having worked together in Grimsby previously, said: "We are absolutely delighted with the progress we have made.
"We have pulled together a fantastic team, we have engaged industry experts, and partners, such as equipment supplier Marel and principal contractor Intelect, and we have got to where we are as well as we could have done.
"We will have a world-class facility in a very short space of time."
Town seafood specialist creates five new roles
FIVE new jobs have been created at town seafood specialist Quayside Distribution, after the third-party logistics contract was won.
The company, headed by Mick Wilkinson, has delivered daily to Morrisons’ regional distribution centres for the past 14 years, and secured the deal with the new manufacturing facility earlier this year.
Quayside will handle all seafood in and out of the plant, consolidating orders with other suppliers at Grimsby Fish Market, where it is headquartered. The number of warehouse jobs could increase alongside volumes next year.
The 15-year-old firm’s locations at the market, and on South Humberside Industrial Estate, have helped make the start up of the factory go relatively smoothly, with resources made available to Morrisons on the pre-production trials, said Andrew Kirk, general manager.
Quayside is used to operating huge contracts, such as a deal with Marine Harvest which covers 52,000 tonnes of farmed salmon annually. It has capacity to store 11,500 pallets.
Comments
by Beagleyes
Monday, September 10 2012, 6:57PM
“So meggie Dave whilst your reporting is always welcome why not go one step further and encourage your paper ( and yourself) to look at what is really happening with the selling of assets
Of Nelc - now that would be a welcome bit of journalism
Whilst I believe our town has alot to shout about at this moment in time ( and hopefully for years to come )
How about getting out of the office and putting down the press releases and start looking for stories - a man of your standing in the community must know what really is happening
So come on let's have some real investigative journalism from a paper that's not afraid of its paymasters”
by s_pike
Thursday, September 06 2012, 12:00AM
“Syd, if you promise to walk due east to Spurn Point this weekend crowds will mass to cheer and wave you off.”
by Sydney22
Wednesday, September 05 2012, 11:27PM
“MeggieDave said: "If the people of the town cannot be positive about the town's strongest assets, then who else will fight our corner, sing our praises or, indeed, draw little pictures so the under 12s can understand."
Firstly Mr GT .. I did not criticise the 'wet fish' industry, and secondly, fishing isn't one of the towns 'strongest assets' anymore, is it?
A thriving fishing industry I *would* be proud of, and was. But don't ask me to 'sing the praises' of the acres and acres of smelly and soulless production-line fridge units (peopled by wellied, cold-numbed drones in daft paper hats ) which endlessly churn out plastic-flavoured, funny coloured gloop, just to pay the bills - because I can't.
And yes, I know many will come back and say I should stop moaning and just be bl**dy grateful for the jobs, and quite frankly that's what burns my backside!
The poor s*ds are so enured to the whole patronising cant spouted by people of your ilk, that they actually are!!
Ain't life grand??”
by MeggieDave
Wednesday, September 05 2012, 8:11PM
“The role of a newspaper is to be all inclusive and while we cherish our regular readership we must also write every news report as though a reader is picking the Telegraph up for the first time. In a small town with a few strong industry sectors this may well result in the same message being drummed out regularly - but let's hope those who need to listen hear it loud and clear. There's a £75-million pot of public and private investment in the balance at the moment and high-traffic sites such as this will be on the radar of the decision makers. If the people of the town cannot be positive about the town's strongest assets, then who else will fight our corner, sing our praises or, indeed, draw little pictures so the under 12s can understand.”
by Emjay24
Wednesday, September 05 2012, 7:44PM
“Thanks for the apology and explanation Sydney22. Appreciated. Now I can understand your comment a bit better. Just so that you know, my comments were not aimed personally at you but came out of a general frustration I feel about all the negative commenting on this website - much of it seems to come 'out of nowhere' and have the sole aim of ruining every good news story there is.”
by Sydney22
Wednesday, September 05 2012, 7:12PM
“Apologies fellow forum users, no serious whingeing was intended .. It's just that, at times, the condescension of some contributors just gets up my nose, that's all.
I mean .. I think we all know f-i-s-h i-s g-o-o-d f-o-r u-s, without it having to be spelt out by employees of the Grimsby Telegraph .. who, lets face it, do tend to treat all their readers like 12 year olds most of the time.”
by Emjay24
Wednesday, September 05 2012, 5:08PM
“I agree with simonblander, MeggieDave & SeaHunter_1 Why do so many Grimsby (?NELIncs) people just turn every good news story into a general whingeing session about how bad the place is. It isn't! Yes, it has its faults & failings as an area but show me a place that doesn't. There are good things to celebrate here so let's do so rather than painting a negative picture which 'outsiders' can see and might put them off coming or investing adn so making this place even better.”
by Seahunter_1
Wednesday, September 05 2012, 4:26PM
“by Sydney22
Wednesday, September 05 2012, 2:21PM
.""Wet fish counters hold some of the most natural seafood available."
You don't say!
Well, well, well .. we learn something every day, don't we dear forum members?"
.
Well Sydney22 I managed to take a sneak preview of your last appraisal report and thought I'd share a few of the comments with 'our dear forum members'
• Since my last report, he has reached rock bottom and has started to dig.
• This employee should go far - and the quicker he starts, the better.
• Got into the gene pool while the lifeguard wasn't watching.
• Some drink from the fountain of knowledge, he gargled.
• Takes him 10 hours to watch 60 minutes.
Regarding your comment "To be honest, I'm not that proud to be from the town that probably produces more stodge-battered/e-numbered/trans-fatted processed junk than any other town in Britain."
Get a life Sydney22, I along with many others are starting to get fed up with people like you constantly moaning about all and sundry. If you want to be a 'Victor Meldew' clone then please do it without inflicting your morbid/moribund (look it up) outlook on life on the rest of us.”
by simonblander
Wednesday, September 05 2012, 2:58PM
“Sydney22- this is a 'Good' news story. Ditch the self-loathing Grimbarian thing. Instead, relax and enjoy !”
by MeggieDave
Wednesday, September 05 2012, 2:26PM
“Why Sydney22 you should be a red top journalist with that ability to lift something out of context and spin for your self-motivated ends! I was merely trying to balance your unhelpful comment about 'e-numbered trans-fatted processed junk'. Apologies for trying to inject some positivity into proceedings.”