There is a conversation the London restaurant industry does not want to have.
It concerns the fish on your plate — specifically, where it has been since it left the water, and what has happened to it along the way.
Most restaurants do not volunteer this information. We think you deserve to know it.
The reality of most restaurant fish supply chains
The majority of fish served in London restaurants — including many that describe themselves as quality establishments — has been frozen at some point between the boat and your plate.
This is not a scandal. Freezing is a practical and legitimate method of preservation, and for certain species and certain preparations it causes minimal harm. But it is not the same as fresh. And when a restaurant claims “fresh fish” without being specific about what that means, they are trading on an ambiguity.
Frozen fish loses moisture during the freezing and thawing process. The cellular structure changes. The texture softens. The flavour flattens. These changes are modest in a well-managed cold chain — but they are real, and a palate paying attention will notice them.
At North Sea, we have a simple rule: if it was not delivered to us fresh from Billingsgate Market this morning, it does not go on your plate. We have operated this way since 1977. It is non-negotiable.
How to tell the difference yourself
You do not need to be a chef to recognise fresh fish. Here are the signs that matter:
✓ The smell — truly fresh fish smells of the sea. Clean, faintly briny, not “fishy”. A strong or sour odour is the first sign that something is wrong.
✓ The texture — fresh fish holds its shape under a fork and flakes into large, distinct pieces. Over-frozen or old fish falls apart loosely or turns mushy at the edges.
✓ The colour — fresh cod and haddock are bright white with a slight translucency. Greyish, opaque, or waterlogged flesh indicates age or poor thawing.
✓ The batter — a crisp batter that shatters cleanly is only possible with fish that has the right moisture content. Soggy batter is almost always a sign of excess water in the fish beneath it.
What “fresh from Billingsgate” actually means
Billingsgate Market in east London is the largest inland fish market in the UK and one of the great fish markets of the world. Traders arrive from the early hours, and the fish on the slabs has typically come off the boats within twenty-four to forty-eight hours.
Our fish is sourced from Billingsgate every morning and delivered to Leigh Street before service. From the market to your plate in under twelve hours.
That is the chain of custody we can verify and stand behind. We think it matters, and we think you do too.
Why we are telling you this
We are not writing this to disparage other restaurants. We are writing it because freshness is the single most important variable in the quality of a fish dish, and we have built our entire operation around it for nearly fifty years.
When guests ask why our cod tastes different — sweeter, firmer, more distinct — this is the answer. It is not a secret recipe or a special technique. It is simply fish that arrived this morning, prepared by people who know what they are doing, cooked to order.
That is what we offer. And we think once you have tasted the difference, you will not want to go back.
