On Friday 17 June Sainsbury’s customers asking for one of the ‘Big 5’ species of cod, haddock, tuna, salmon or prawns from its fish counters will be offered an alternative, lesser known species for free.
With 80% of fish sales currently made up of the ‘Big 5’, the UK supermarket believes this is the boldest move yet by any UK retailer to encourage customers to widen their repertoire in fish and make more sustainable choices.
Taking Channel 4’s Great British Fish Fight a step further, this unprecedented move allows customers to try varieties such as pouting, megrim, coley, and mackerel, in a risk-free way helping to alleviate pressure on declining fish stocks and reduce waste from fishing.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is supporting the campaign by encouraging customers to try something new, featuring in a DVD for Sainsbury’s fish counter colleagues and answering questions on Switch the Fish from Sainsbury’s Facebook community. His exclusive recipe tip cards are also available at Sainsbury’s fish counters, supported by ‘how to’ recipe demos online.
New survey results show just how set in their ways the British public are when it comes to eating and buying fish - 41% of the UK eat cod at least once a month whilst a fifth of people eat tuna at least once a week.
84% of Brits have never even tried megrim, 82% have never eaten pouting, 43% are put off trying a different type of fish if they were unsure about its taste, and 31% of people are discouraged from trying a fish if they didn’t know how to cook it.
The Switch the Fish van will be visiting cities and stores across England and Scotland, sampling alternative species and educating consumers on sustainable fish sourcing.
Justin King, Sainsbury’s CEOsaid: “Sainsbury’s Switch the Fish campaign really marks a step change in our support of alternative species of fish. It’s not about eliminating the ‘Big 5’, but helping our customers to widen their repertoire. We hope that by leading by example, we can help change UK fish eating habits to restore declining fish stocks.”
Jamie Oliver commented: “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.”
