Riley’s Fish Shack owner Adam Riley plans to boost North East fishing industry with new venture
IMAGES BY NIGEL JOHN
The owner of a North East seafood eatery has announced his plans to boost the local fishing industry.
Adam Riley, who founded Riley’s Fish Shack in King Edward’s Bay, in Tynemouth, five years ago, said that his plans include a fish shop and the development of the Ice Tower on the North Shields Western Quay.
He plans for the shop to be ‘wet fish’, meaning that the fish would not be frozen or cooked, and has planned for it to open in Percy Park Road in April.
For the Ice Tower, he hopes to set up a market and potentially a langoustine bar. “North Shields is England’s largest langoustine port.
“About 1,000 tons of langoustines a year are landed there and 95 per cent of them are exported.
“The idea is to open a market which acts like a catalyst and helps the fishing industry. Maybe we could have cooks, cooking there. Michel Roux Jr said he’d do the launch,” said Adam.
He also plans to set up a new production unit, for filleting the day’s catches before transportation to the Fish Shack.
He added: “The one we have is a little too far the other side of North Shields.
“We’ve been looking for somewhere on the fish quay so it is more a part of the action, as opposed to being detached from it.”
Earlier this month Riley’s Fish Shack was chosen by the Guardian newspaper as a recommended destination for families to visit in the February half-term holidays.
It follows on from the shack being shortlisting in the ‘Off Map Destination’ category at last year’s World Restaurant Awards, top reviews by Tom Parker Bowles and Jay Rayner – who described it as his ‘eating experience of the year’ – and it has also featured in the Channel 4 series Hidden Restaurants fronted by Michel Roux Jr.
Check out the Riley’s Fish Shack at rileysfishshack.com
