THE REALLY INTERESTING CRAB COMPANY
We are a relatively new company that deliver live crab and lobster to restaurants. Owners Nick Bright and Adrian Bartlett have between them enjoyed over 50 years of crab fishing and this wealth of experience is now being used to supply the finest quality shellfish from Nick's boats to your restaurant.
With access to our own dedicated fishing boats, we are in a unique position to provide customers with the opportunity to trace the provenance of each crab or lobster bought. Fishing vessels Ebonnie, Helen Claire and La Creole catch these from the fresh, clean waters around the Channel Islands. Within these waters are to be found some of the richest food sources for shellfish in the English Channel resulting in some of the best quality crab and lobster to be found.
They are delivered weekly by refrigerated van together with a wide variety of other shellfish. We are in daily contact with the Brixham Fish Market and, therefore, are able to provide fresh fish and shellfish to complement our own crab and lobster.
Background
A vast amount of shellfish from Nick's boats has been sold to France and Portugal. Many buyers make long journeys to the market in Cherbourg to collect this superb produce. Nick and Adrian wanted to make it available to those on this side of the Channel who also appreciate top-quality shellfish. With that in mind, The Really Interesting Crab Company was born. With an expanding and loyal customer base, reliability and efficiency are of utmost importance to us as is the care applied to quality control. We have developed live crab and lobster tanks in a unit on the quayside at Paignton Harbour, where the crab and lobsters are kept awaiting deliveries.
Sustainability and traceability
All three boats are equipped with the most advanced communication systems allowing us to give a regular forecast of shellfish availability for each delivery. This invaluable information is passed to the chefs so they can plan their buying and menus on a daily basis, minimising waste and ensuring customers dine on the finest and freshest seafood.
Our boats fish in the English Channel and the North Sea areas. In the Channel, mainly to the north of the Channel Islands and the adjacent coast of France, the boats can only access their pots twice a month for a period of 8–10 days at a time. This is because of the strong tidal flows. The tidal situation in this area produces some of the finest quality crab and lobster to be found. With a maximum of 20 days per month of fishing time, it also enables us to fish in a naturally controlled and sustainable way.
Our aim
Our aim is to promote fresh fish and shellfish and build long-term relationships between our company and our customers.
We passionately believe that The Really Interesting Crab Company has a special role to play by bringing the fishermen and the diners in the restaurants a little closer together.
