Seafood Shetland’s ‘So Much to Sea’ campaign has been on the road again; this time hosting a seafood tasting at Bell’s Brae Primary School.

Pupils from primary four were invited to join a fish-themed morning where the aim was to learn a little bit more about Shetland’s seafood, its journey from sea to plate, and also see for themselves how versatile, healthy and delicious it is.

Two experts were on hand to speak and demonstrate: Marian Armitage, who had cooked many of the seafood samples for the successful So Much to Sea community events, and Simon Collins, from the Shetland Fishermen’s Association.

Marian prepared three simple dishes, which featured megrim, kipper and mussels, which had all been freshly delivered that morning. Marian said: “I thoroughly enjoyed spending the morning with such an enthusiastic group of children and having the opportunity to demonstrate how easy seafood is to work with. The kipper pate in particular was a huge hit. The bairns really used their senses – and were able to identify many different ingredients. We also talked about the health benefits of fish and how it was good for the brain, concentration and for a healthy heart.”

Bell’s Brae head teacher, Jennifer Wadley said: “This was a wonderful opportunity from Seafood Shetland. The feedback from the staff and bairns has been excellent. They improved their knowledge of fish and the fishing industry, tasted new things and developed their cooking skills.

“We recently heard that we are to receive funding from Education Scotland for ‘Food for Thought’ which means that we will be able to purchase new cooking equipment and promote food education in Bell’s Brae. We will definitely be promoting the local seafood industry, develop the children’s cooking skills and increase their knowledge of the journey of seafood from the sea to their dinner plates.”

Chief Executive of Seafood Shetland Ruth Henderson said: “We are delighted to engage and collaborate with younger generations. There is such a variety of fish and shellfish in the waters around Shetland and it is a pleasure to explain more about how this vital industry works and what it means to them and the community.”