It’s Time to Expand Beyond the Big Five

The waters around the UK are home to over 150 species of fish, yet most diners tend to stick to the same familiar five – cod, salmon, haddock, tuna, and prawns. These popular choices, often referred to as the “Big Five”, dominate menus and shopping baskets. But with increasing focus on sustainable sourcing, things are starting to shift.

When Tempus magazine asked top UK chefs about 2025 food trends, Jack Stein, chef director at Rick Stein Restaurants, predicted a rise in interest in lesser-known British seafood. At Rick Stein, celebrating these lesser-used species has long been part of their approach.

As chefs, this opens the door to a wider range of local, seasonal fish – and a chance to reduce waste by using more of the catch.

Rethinking What We Serve

The Sustainable Food Trust points out that the most commonly eaten fish are also the ones under the most pressure. That doesn’t mean these species should be avoided entirely, but it does mean that choosing less popular options can help stocks recover.

There’s been progress – bluefin tuna sightings off the south coast and Wales are a hopeful sign that conservation efforts are working. But sustainable choices remain essential, especially as customer interest in responsible sourcing grows.

Where to Start – The Good Fish Guide

The Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide is a reliable source to check before buying. It uses a traffic light system: green is best, orange is okay in moderation, and red is to be avoided if possible.

Here are just a few green and orange-listed species worth exploring:

• Herring
  
• Hake
  
• Huss (also known as rock salmon)
  
• Wrasse
  
• Pouting
  
• Gurnard
  
• Coley
  
• Megrim
  
• Mussels
  
• Oysters
  
• Cockles
  
• Whelks

Spotlight on Lesser-Known Fish

Huss

Huss is a firm, white fish from the shark family. Also known as dogfish or rock salmon, it’s sometimes seen in fish and chip shops. Its meaty texture makes it a good option for stews or curries. It’s best eaten fresh, as freezing can affect its texture. Remember to remove the skin, which can be quite tough.

Gurnard

Gurnard has a prehistoric appearance with spiny heads and unusual fins, but its firm, tasty meat holds up well in cooking. It’s often discarded as by-catch but is becoming more common on menus. It makes an excellent base for seafood stews – especially bouillabaisse – and works well in seafood boils.

A menu idea? Position your bouillabaisse as a British take on the seafood boil – without imported crabs or single-use plastic bags.

Megrim

Megrim is a flatfish similar to sole, with soft, slightly oily flesh. It’s not the most photogenic fish, but it’s flavourful and satisfying. Previously exported to Europe, it’s slowly finding a place on UK menus. At Rockfish, they describe it as a “plate filler” with juicy flesh and regular availability on daily landing menus.

Making Use of the Whole Fish

In today’s climate – both economic and environmental – making full use of each fish is becoming the norm. Familiar examples include cod cheeks or salmon skin in sushi, but there’s more potential to explore.

At fish markets across the UK, chefs are joined by customers looking for heads, bones and offcuts to use in stews and soups. Dishes like steamed fish bones with black beans and ginger – served at Xiao Chi Noodle Café in South Yorkshire – are becoming more familiar.

Riley’s Fish Shack in North Shields has been inspired by Southeast Asian broths and serves fish head in ginger broth. And down in Cornwall, Rich Adams, founder of Forgotten Fish and owner of Argoe (recently awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand), is leading the charge with “nose-to-tail” fish cuts. His menus feature items like hake throats, pollock collars, ray cheeks, cod tongues and kokotxas – a Basque-style stew made from necks and skin.

Garum – A Traditional Twist

Another interesting addition to the conversation is garum – a fermented fish sauce dating back to Roman times. Made from fish guts, it was essentially a way to use up waste. Today, it’s being revived in kitchens like Silo in London, a minimal waste restaurant awarded a Michelin Green Star.

Their cuttlefish garum, used to dress leeks, is a prime example of using every part of the catch to add deep umami flavour to dishes.

Don’t Forget the Sea Vegetables

Seafood isn’t just about fish. The UK coastline offers a wide variety of edible seaweeds, many of which can bring new flavours and textures to the plate.

Lisa Cutcliffe of Edulis Wild Food runs foraging courses and recommends pepper dulse – a type of seaweed with a mild truffle-like flavour. It’s best blitzed into a butter and frozen for later use. Seaweed butters and seaweed mayo are already featuring on menus such as Prawn on the Lawn in Padstow, adding richness to fish dishes.

Always ensure any foraged seaweed is harvested from clean waters – the Safer Seas and Rivers app from Surfers Against Sewage is a helpful tool for this.

A Fresh Approach

There’s a clear opportunity for chefs to look beyond the usual suspects. Adding lesser-known fish like huss, gurnard and megrim to your menu can help support sustainability while surprising and satisfying your customers.

Combining this with full-fish cooking, fermented sauces, and sea vegetables means we can reduce waste, support UK suppliers, and offer something genuinely interesting on the plate – all while respecting our coastal ecosystems.

It’s not about replacing the classics. It’s about rethinking what British seafood can offer, and making the most of what’s already here.