MEDIA INFORMATION8th March 2017

TOP TV PERSONALITIES TALK FISH − Jeremy Paxman, Mitch Tonks and other influencers talk fish as Pommery Dorset

Seafood Festival announces its FISHY TALES lineup −

The Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival Fishy Tales is the first live and interactive celebrity seafood discussion panel at the Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival. The panel of famous guests will discuss a smorgasbord of personal fish related topics, from catching and cooking, to conservation and poacher-policing. This exclusive 40-seat event will be held over both days, 8 th & 9th July, from 2 pm in a private room at the Stable Bar overlooking the historic Weymouth Harbour.

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The sparkling lineup sees well-known TV personalities, fish chefs and industry experts, including award winning journalist, author and broadcaster Jeremy Paxman and top seafood restaurateur Mitch Tonks, come together over the two days. Participants will give their thoughts on a range of fishy topics from their favourite fish to why seafood is such a fundamental part of British culture. Politics will also come into play with Commissioner for Dorset Police, Martyn Underhill, talking about the post-Brexit policing of our inshore waters. The event is hosted by BAFTA winning writer Nick Fisher.

Nick Fisher, writer and broadcaster commented:“I firmly believe that the next best thing to catching and eating fish, is talking about catching and eating fish!”

Saturday 8th July plays host to Chef Mitch Tonks, TV personality Jeremy Paxman and Restauranteur Caroline Bennett. Sunday 9th July warmly welcomes Dorset Police Commissioner Martyn Underhill and Skipper Annie Gilbert who is one of the only female skippers working out of the UK. Annie will give some original insight into this male dominated macho world.

Mitch Tonks grew up on the South Coast and has very early and fond memories of preparing fish with his Grandmother. He recalls buckets of eels arriving at her back door, fished by the local children. The eels would win an hour’s reprieve swimming around in her sink before being prepared, boiled and jellied.

Mitch Tonks, restauranteur and food writer commented:“These simple shared pleasures were the first small steps of a food journey that took me to culinary experiences all around the world. But home would always be the coastline of the south-west of England and the place where my fervor for seafood in particular shaped and resonated most profoundly.”

Caroline Bennett Founder & Director of Japanese restaurant Moshi Moshi in London, the UK’s first conveyor belt sushi bar, has been interested in sustainability since 1997 when her restaurant had issues sourcing her beloved bluefin Tuna.

Caroline Bennett, owner of Moshi Moshi commented:“Around 20 years ago, through discussions with WWF and Greenpeace, I became connected with Carl Safina, founder of the Blue Ocean Institute and we spoke about the lack of bluefin tuna and I learned that bluefin Tuna was endangered. I was shocked to hear that It was likened to ‘eating a creature as endangered as a rhino-ceros’. Once I knew the effects of my actions, I felt compelled to make better de-cisions.”

Guests can expect lively debate on current political discussions over a glass or two of cider. Tickets will be on sale in advance, at £10 per seat, which includes a welcoming pint of local cider. Booking link coming soon.

Chefs to look out for over the two-day festival on the demo stages include: Dan Doherty, Neil Rankin, Gizzi Erskine, Mitch Tonks, Peter Gordon, Sophie Michell, Duncan Lucas – Passionate About Fish, Nigel Bloxham – Crab House Café, Matt Budden – Hilton and Pete Murt – Rick Stein.

A not-for-profit event, the organisers raise money for the Fishermen’s Mission.

EndsEditor’s NotesIssued on behalf of Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival by In The Bag PR

For more information please see www.dorsetseafood.co.uk or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For further information please contact; Sophie Kermani, Director – In The Bag PR TEL: 07739554794 and EMAIL: sophie@inthebagpr.co.uk

Dorset Seafood Festival represents the UK’s largest, free-to-attend seafood festival, recently winning Gold in the Dorset Tourism Awards for Tourism Event of the Year as well as Outstanding Contribution to Tourism and Silver in the South West Tourism Excellence Awards in 2015/2016.

Nick FisherNick is a BAFTA-winning scriptwriter and series creator with a diverse range of writing credits in film, radio, stage, journalism and books. He is currently working on BBC1’s top-rating prime-time hospital drama Holby City, for which he has written over 30 episodes. He also created and presented two fishing series Screaming Reels for Channel 4 and Dirty Tackle for BBC5Live.

He is a much-published expert in fishing and fish cookery having co-written the River Cottage Fish Book with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Nick also wrote the River Cottage Sea Fishing Handbook and is one of a handful of contributors to the latest River Cottage title An A - Z of Ingredients. 

Nick has been a much-loved columnist for The Shooting Times magazine for over 20 years, giving his personal view on all things fish and fishing related. He has covered every season, condition and global species yet still finds time to answer every letter and question his readers put to him.  

And Nick’s debut novel Pot Luck, a dark and twisty murderous crime thriller set against the back drop of the Weymouth commercial crab fishing industry was recently published to critical acclaim by Peridot Press.

Charity Information - The Fishermen’s MissionThe Fishermen’s Mission is the only fishermen’s charity that provides emergency support alongside practical and emotional care. It helps all fishermen, active or retired, and their families. It does this by:

Offering immediate assistance, day or night, to the families of fishermen who have been killed or seriously injured

Looking after the survivors of fishing boat accidents Helping injured or ill fishermen to find medical help Finding emergency housing and food if necessary

Supporting fishermen’s families in the case of illness, distress or financial diffi-culties

Alleviating loneliness by visiting retired fishermen and their families at home or in hospital

Offering welfare and support to overseas fishermen working in the UK fishing industry, especially those who have to live onboard boats

Providing Christian pastoral and practical help, including problems with debt, sickness, bereavement, family difficulties and addiction problems

www.fishermensmission.org.uk