Twickers to Regain a Fishmonger – After the shockingly sad demise of Stuart Sandys last year, and the consequential closure of Twickenham’s beloved fishmonger and game supplier, you’ll no doubt be relieved as I was to hear that well-known London fishmonger Moxon’s has taken over the site.
I had the chance to have a chat with founder Robin Moxon the other day, and I’m really looking forward to Twickenham having a fishmonger again. Robin told me that he originally started his career breaking in racehorses, but an injury put an end to this for him. He then worked part time at Tesco’s Guildford on the fish counter, which triggered his interest and subsequent career.
Moxon’s will sell ‘fish and things that go with fish’. The company also owns The Wimbledon Smokehouse which smokes the most superb smoked salmon I’ve tasted for a very long time. It produces its own range of smoked fish – salmon, cod, haddock, mackerel, kippers – to a secret blend of hardwoods. Robin told me that in fact he never intended to open a smokery, but couldn’t find products of the quality he wanted, so decided to produce his own.
Moxon’s prides itself on being able to trace every one of its products to its original source, with the focus being heavily in favour of British fish: John Dory, Sea Bream, Line caught Bass and Dover sole in particular. In addition, shoppers will be able to buy a range of home produced pies (including their famed salmon en croute), patés, fishcakes and sauces, For those of us who feel flush, or have something to celebrate, he will also be stocking top-notch caviar, from locally based Kings Fine Food.
“Dictated by seasonality and sustainability, we buy our fish and shellfish directly from all corners of the British coastline – from Newlyn to Shetland, via much of the South and East coasts, the Gower Peninsula in Wales and up to Peterhead in Scotland.” says Robin “Our wealth of knowledge in the industry, combined with the trust we have built with the specific boats we buy from means we have the pick of the finest quality British fish and shellfish landed each day.”
Twickenham will be the fourth location for Moxon’s – the others are in Clapham, East Dulwich and South Kensington.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for Moxon’s to open – apparently, they are aiming for June 23, as long as interested folk don’t keep popping in to chat to the builders and slowing them down!
Poppy Watt