Bucking current trend with plan to take on more staff
COLD-SMOKED SALMON SOLD IN 50 COUNTRIES
Joe Morgan carrying on the family tradition at Morgan's Fine Fish.
HOLY Week is traditionally the busiest time of the year for fish mongers but for Morgan's Fine Fish every week is busy.
The Omeath-based family business, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, is bucking the trend in these recessionary times by expanding, taking on extra staff and winning new customers.
The company has its origins in the post-famine years when James Morgan began working on one of the few Carlingford herring boats working under sail to supply the Manx kipper market.
He began selling herrings from a horse and cart and, putting his knowledge of the fishing trade to good use, built up his business. He organised locals, including his own children, to harvest shellfish from Carlingford Lough. The business which he had built up through hardwork was continued by his son Mickey who began modernising it when he bought a 12-year-old Ford van in 1946.
Business boomed and in order to meet the growing demand around the country for fish, Mickey bought his own fishing boat so that there was a steady supply of fresh salmon, whiting, cod and mackerel.
As the business continued to grow, he built a state-of-the-art processing plant in 1960.
When this was replaced with a bigger and better plant in 1990, the fresh cold water from the Cooley mountains was still used as an integral part of the process.
A fleet of modern refrigerated vans delivers fish nationwide to supermarkets, hotels and restaurants while customers in 50 countries buy Morgan's cold-smoked salmon through their website.
They company supplies hotels, restaurants and supermarket chains while local customers can buy it from their stalls in Dundalk or direct from their shop in Omeath. The website, wwwmorgansfinefish.com, has been revamped to coincide with their 150th anniversary. It features lots of information about the company as well as recipes specially prepared by Bernie Morgan, whose cookery demonstrations are always a big hit.
- Margaret RODDY
