How to tell if fish is fresh
Fresh fish announces itself. You do not need years of experience, you need to know what to look at. These checks are the ones any good fishmonger runs before buying. The first five take seconds, whether you are standing at a counter or taking delivery at your door, and the sixth is about how the fish travels.
1. The eyes
A fresh fish has clear, slightly domed eyes with a bright dark pupil. The longer a fish sits, the more the eye sinks inward, clouds over and turns grey. This is the fastest check and the hardest one to fake.
One exception worth knowing: some species such as sardines naturally have smaller, flatter eyes, so judge them on clarity rather than shape.
2. The gills
Lift the gill cover and look inside. You want clean deep red or pink, with no sticky slime and no brown tint. Gills are the first part of a fish to turn, which makes them more honest than the outside.
3. The flesh and how it feels
Press the side of the fish gently with a finger. If the flesh springs straight back, it is firm. If the dent stays, the flesh has started to go. Fresh fish also feels moist rather than sticky, and the scales stay put instead of coming away easily.
4. The smell
Fresh fish smells faintly of the sea or of clean water. A sharp, pushing smell means it has been sitting. The simple rule: if the smell makes you pull your face away, cooking will not rescue it.
5. Cut fish and fillets
Fillets and steaks have no eyes or gills, so judge them on the flesh. It should look glossy, firm and even in colour, with no dried edges and no milky liquid pooling underneath. If the flesh starts separating along the flakes, it has been sitting.
This is why we cut after you order rather than before. The fish is weighed whole, then cleaned and cut to your choice on the same morning it is delivered.
6. Ice and transport
The best fish in the world spoils if it travels badly. Fish should stay on ice the whole way to the kitchen, not sit in the sun or in a car boot for two hours. When it reaches you, put it straight in the fridge if you are not cooking it immediately.
Our orders are prepared in the morning and arrive in a sealed ice box, opened in front of you on delivery.
Common questions
Is frozen fish bad?
Not in itself. The problem comes from repeated freezing and thawing, which leaves the flesh loose and watery on the plate. Fish frozen once and kept frozen until cooking can be very good. What we do is prepare on the morning of delivery, and anything imported such as salmon says so in its description.
How long can I keep fish in the fridge?
Cook it the same day if you can. If you are delaying, keep it on the coldest shelf, covered and on ice, and cook it within a day. Anything longer, freeze it straight away rather than leaving it in the fridge.
Is fish weighed before or after cleaning?
We weigh the fish whole before cleaning, as any fishmonger does. Cleaning and the cut you choose are a fixed price per kilo shown before you add to the cart.
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