Delicious, versatile, and effortlessly elegant on any plate, seafood is all so often the dish of choice for hungry diners the world over; whilst also considered a quick & simple meal for the chefs behind those dishes to prepare. But, when it comes to catering for large numbers is fresh or frozen best? Here, we’ll explore fresh seafood vs. frozen; the pros of fresh fish and how it compares to frozen fish.

Pros of fresh seafood:

• ‘Fresh is best’: for generations, ‘fresh is best’ has been the slogan on the lips of fishmongers, consumers, and chefs when talking about, buying and working with fish; the smell, the texture, the healthy shine of the skin… everything about fresh fish and any kind of fresh seafood radiates sheer quality.
• Quicker to cook: whether fresh fish or frozen, fish tends to be quicker to cook than meat or poultry, but fresh fish has a slight edge on frozen in terms of the time it takes to cook; often taking only a few short minutes to fry or grill on each side. And we all know that, particularly when working in a busy kitchen, every minute matters!
• Knowing the source: when buying fresh fish as opposed to frozen, it can be much easier to trace the source. Here at Cooper Foods, for example, the majority of our fresh fish is sourced from Brixham, and all of our fresh fish is sustainably sourced. But why is knowing the source of your fish important? Simply because you’ll know exactly how fresh it is, and therefore how good the quality really is. What’s more, diners are becoming increasingly interested in where their food comes from, and how local it is.

Pros of frozen fish:

• Seasonal bounty: as frozen fish lasts much longer than fresh, frozen fish allows us (fishmongers, retailers, and restaurants) to take advantage of the seasonal bounty and spread availability throughout the year; meaning that fish that may only otherwise be available in the spring, for example, can still be available to diners in the autumn.
• Decreases waste: Often, if fresh fish isn’t used during the same day it’s delivered, it has to be thrown away; a problem rarely encountered with frozen fish.
• Little to no loss of nutritional value: part of the reason fish is popular with hungry diners all over the world is its well-known nutritional value; high in Omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamin D, whilst remaining a great source of protein, fish is considered an incredibly healthy alternative to meats and poultry. Where in the past, freezing fish may have led to the loss of some of those vital nutrients, with advancements in modern technology, fish can now be frozen within hours of being caught and therefore retains much of its nutritional value.

Why choose fresh seafood over frozen?

Fresh or frozen, seafood is a healthy, tasty, quick and often simple choice for both diner and chef; packed full of vitamins and ‘good fats’, and often cooked in a matter of minutes, there are multiple benefits to working with fish, particularly when catering for large numbers of people.

For us, however, fresh seafood will often be our first choice; nothing quite beats the smell of the ocean that comes from a genuinely fresh piece of fish or simply the satisfaction that comes from knowing exactly where and who your produce comes from; when it was caught and the journey its been on to arrive in your kitchen, and on your diners’ plates.

To talk to us about our range of fresh and frozen seafood, call us today.