Jamie Oliver helps Sainsbury’s offer free fish

Sainsbury's has launched a campaign to highlight sustainable fishing and will be offering free fish to customers who switch to a more sustainable variety.


Customers buying one of the ‘Big 5’: cod, haddock, tuna, salmon and prawns, will be offered alternatives such as pouting, megrim and coley for free.

The retailer is hoping to encourage customers to try other varieties of fish and make more sustainable choices.

Jamie Oliver is heading up the Switch the Fish campaign, which is being launched in stores on June 17 in England and Scotland.

He said: “Earlier this year I joined the debate to encourage people to try new, less loved fish which had a great response.

“Sainsbury’s is really taking the next step with its campaign ‘Switch the Fish’ demonstrating its commitment to getting customers to widen their choice when it comes to eating something other than the ‘Big 5’.

“Offering free alternative fish is a great way to do this and will in turn help people be a bit more adventurous when they come to do their next shop.”

Sainsbury’s recently ran a poll with YouGov on consumers fish buying and eating habits. It showed that 41% of the UK eats cod at least once a month and a fifth of people eat tuna at least once a week.

Fish-eaters are put off trying a different type of fish as they are unsure of how it tastes and how to cook it. According to the poll, 84% of Brits have never tried megrim and 82% have never eaten pouting.

Minister for the Natural Environment and Fisheries, Richard Benyon MP, applauded the campaign.

He said: “If more people start to choose a wider variety of fish, this will help in our battle to end the terrible waste of millions of edible fish being thrown back into the sea dead because of an out-dated system.”

Alison Brown

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