Our Story
“Fish Union was built out of a frustration at the lack of availability of fresh fish in the market. I was always puzzled at how butchers had remained on the High Street, but fishmongers had, by and large, disappeared. As an island we should all be eating lots of fresh seafood, and hopefully the arrival of Fish Union will start the revival!”
Richard Kirkwood
We are marrying an upmarket wet fishmonger with a small seafood and champagne bar, alongside a selection of masterclasses. As chefs we will be imparting our knowledge and bringing our extensive list of suppliers to bear on the local market, be it fish sourced from Newlyn or the finest anchovies from Spain, to foraged sea vegetables and wild mushrooms. We aim to create the ultimate seafood shopping experience.
MEET THE TEAM
Richard Kirkwood
Richard first became obsessed with fish when he was part of the opening team of J. Sheekey, London’s Iconic fish restaurant, in1998. He went on to become the Head Chef of this venerable establishment,before leaving to run the Wright Brothers fleet of restaurants.
Andy Roberts
Upon returning to the UK in 2004 after a stint cheffing in Sydney, Australia, Andy started working at the renowned J.Sheekey restaurant where he met Richard.
Andy’s passion for all things ocean-related really ignited during his time down under, a passion, alongside the extensive knowledge and skills acquired over the years at the Ivy private members club, One Canada Square & the Wright brothers, that Fish Union is the end result of.
Andy also has a passion for scuba diving and marine conservation where his most rewarding achievement to date has been becoming a certified coral reef restoration diver helping to rebuild the ocean ecosystem.
Issy Bear – Supervisor
Issy has worked at Fish Union since we first opened and as it’s her first job it makes her the baby of the team! She’s now our restaurant supervisor responsible for greeting and serving our guests and keeping everyone happy.
In her spare time when she’s not at Fish Union she volunteers as a DJ and presenter on a digital radio station!
Michael Marshall – Fishmonger
Michael started out working for a large fast food chain of restaurants – worlds apart from where he is now! He never thought that he would be able to filet a fish but we took him under our wing and showed him the ropes. Now, Michael is our Fishmonger where most days you will find him busy behind the counter preparing the fish for our customers.
OLIVIA RICHARDSON – Front of house
When she’s not at university studying drama and theatre studies, Olivia is here at Fish Union working as part of our front of house team.
In her spare time she enjoys painting and exercising at the gym.