Something fishy: Why Manchester’s Tinned Fish Market is our food crush of the moment
If you’re a fan of quality food and Mediterranean culture there’s a fair chance you’ll like tinned fish.
In Spain, Italy, the south of France and above all, Portugal tins [latas] of sardines, mackerel, mussels provide incredible moments of flavour for very little cash.
It’s a concept that’s mostly been lost on the British. Until now.
Because thanks to the Tinned Fish Market of Manchester, Brits are now able to enjoy the finest portions of fish (in a variety of sauces) bought directly from the best manufacturers.
Here, owner Patrick Martinez tells about the wonder of tinned fish and why there’s no need to be scared of this most precious of products.
Hi Patrick. When did you open?
The Tinned Fish Market has just celebrated its second birthday. It wasn’t planned at all. I rented a space in the Red Brick Market in Liverpool, and then started to think about something interesting I could sell there. I booked a plane ticket to Madrid, so I could see my family first, then drove to Portugal. I had a list with the suppliers I wanted to go to, but It was all very spur-of-the-moment – I only had €300 to spend. I was really lucky: the first place was [respected tinned fish company] Pinhais, then I went to another brand, Ramirez. I got to see the sales manager there and learnt so much about the product.
What's so good about tinned fish?
Simplicity. I always say, mix the sardines or sardine fillets with slices of avocado, slices of tomato, maybe slices of onion. It’s such a simple meal, yet so delicious. That’s the magic of tinned fish.
What are your current favourites?
They’re all so different to each other, it’s hard to choose. Some of the tins are just a luxury in themselves, La Belle Iloise from France is amazing. They’re like recipes in tins. Luças’s sardines are also pretty special – so silvery when you open the tin, really tender.
Later, after a trip to Porto, I discovered the Espinaler brand, it’s got such a big range and an amazing history. Everyone knows the salsa they make, too – it’s a really good complement to the tins.
We love the graphics on the tins, too
Pepus is a brand that’s super-traditional contents-wise but the design is very modern, very pop-art, so it appeals to a totally different customer. I really like Berthe too, it’s maintained the same illustrations for years. Each brand has its own visual identity.
Owner Patrick Martinez
“If you have some sardines and Ravigote sauce it’s such a pleasure just to eat it out of the tin and use your bread to dip in there.”
If we’re starting our fish habit, what should we order?
Buy a box with three or four different tins: get a tin of mackerel, sardines or tuna, and have it with a bit of bread on the side. If you have some sardines and Ravigote sauce it’s such a pleasure just to eat it out of the tin and use your bread to dip in there.
Are there any recipe books on tinned fish?
Bart van Olphen’s new one, The Tinned Fish Cookbook. I spoke to him the other week for our blog, and that was great. What he said was absolutely right: cooking with tinned fish is more about assembling things because the fish is already done. But I don’t want people to think we buy these tins and they have to cook recipes with them. Recently, Fiona Beckett did a recipe with tinned mackerel on her Instagram and it was absolutely delicious. She just served it with a potato and dill salad.
What are your plans for the next year?
We’re looking at opening our own space where we can have the workshop as well – it’ll be a place we can meet our fans. We make hampers individually, so a big part of what we do is craft – we’d like to focus on that area, too. And I’d love to go back to Portugal, maybe go out on the boats. Can you imagine? It’s all about going to the port and asking.