THE PLYMOUTH FISH FINGER
UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH
a Fish Finger Celebration event funded by a University of Plymouth Public Engagement Explore award 2024
INTRODUCTION
The Fish Finger Celebration was an exciting event that brought together different people from the Plymouth community to highlight one of the city’s most innovative food projects – the Plymouth Fish Finger. Supported by the University of Plymouth’s Public Engagement Explore award, the event showcased local fishing traditions, sustainable food practices, and the remarkable efforts made by the people behind them.
Attendees explored the journey of the Plymouth Fish Finger, learning how it was co-created with the help of local school students, food experts, businesses and community members. The event celebrated the Fish Finger’s focus on health, sustainability, and the vision for its lasting impact on the city. In addition, it honoured Plymouth’s vibrant fishing community and the important work being done to support sustainable practices in local waters.
The celebration was part of the FoodSEqual project, a UK-wide research programme (funded by UKRI’s, Transforming the UK Food System programme) aimed at putting communities at the centre of efforts to change the local food system, prioritising the health of people and their environment.
In Plymouth, this project has focused on improving access to healthy, affordable, and sustainable food, with six local citizens becoming trained Community Food
Researchers (CFRs) in Whitleigh and playing a pivotal role in facilitating workshops and engaging the community in discussions around fish supply and consumption.
From these workshops, it became clear that Plymouth communities wanted change –citizens told us they wanted better access to locally caught affordable fish, opportunities to try different local fish species, and more insight into how the fish supply chain works. The Plymouth Fish Finger was born out of these workshop findings, co-designed by students at Sir John Hunt Community Sports college and produced in collaboration with our amazing local partners - Sole of Discretion CIC and the Plymouth Fishing and Seafood Association CIC.
The prototype Fish Finger, developed with the goal of bringing healthy, sustainable fish into local schools, was the culmination of these efforts. The Fish Finger Celebration event marked this achievement and provided a platform for the community to reflect on the journey and celebrate the future potential of this innovative project, for communities, businesses and the local economy.
This Zine captures the essence of the celebration, filled with photographs that share the story of the Plymouth Fish Finger journey and the people who made it possible. Through these images, we hope to inspire continued dialogue about the importance of collaboration to promote sustainable fishing practices and improve our local food system
“Oh, the Plymouth Fish Finger!
A tasty delight,
Made by kids from by-catch,
To set things right,
Pouting, Dog-fish Whiting too,
From the skipper’s line to the school meal queue, Co-created just for you…”
The FoodSEqual Plymouth research team
The FoodSEqual Plymouth team would like to thank our amazing local partners for their enthusiastic support for this project, without them it would not have been possible. A special thanks to our Community Food Researchers, Laura and Star, who acted as our Fish Finger ‘community champions’ for the project.
