Direct-to-door online seafood firm Ish Fish has entered the traditional retail market, in a tie-up with a fellow Grimsby-area business.
Big Red in Humberston will now stock a frozen range from the high-growth Grimsby start-up, as it looks to maintain sales that soared through lockdown.
For Ish Fish it represents a trial in a new channel, while the independent retailer seeks to establish a dedicated local provision, with owner Jon Beckitt keen to add to the first 'catch'.
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Garry Bainbridge, managing director of Ish Fish, said: “Lockdown worked really well for us, we were on the right side of it. We have now got a big customer base and we’re now looking to keep pushing that brand, challenging ourselves and trying new stuff. We don’t want to stop, we want to keep going.
“Working with Jon and Big Red appealed because online the business is quite exclusive, with a minimum order requirement to cover delivery. We do have a local round that goes out, but this is a new channel for us, and while we realise there would be a lot of work to do if we were to roll out further, it is definitely an option. It is a great test bed for us.”
A team of five has been built up by the 2019 launch, with new premises taken on E-Factor’s Enterprise Village “a game-changer making us much more efficient”, Mr Bainbridge said. Previously the business was operating between different processing, cold storage and office bases.
A four-product frozen range in liveried freezer has been introduced at Big Red, with more lines to be added if successful.
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Jon, who together with son-in-law Connor Gallivan has established a significant presence on Wilton Road over the past five years, said: “We want to keep adding to what we have and adding new things. It is a starting point for introducing more local brands.”
A licensing application is being worked through, while a second outlet in the region is also being eyed.
“We’d like somewhere within an hour’s travelling distance,” he said, buoyed by a 26-strong team he describes as the best he has ever had, with ownership of departments within the team proving popular. “The concept is here, we have the knowledge, and it would be a shame not to do it.”
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