Grand Opening of Our State-of-the-Art Cold Storage Facility

Cutting of the ribbon: From left Scott Manterfield Finance Director, Andy Weightman Managing Director, Peter Doswell Fastnet Founder, Matt Omley Sales Director, Claire White Group General Manager.

On Thursday 10^th October 2024, Fastnet Fish marked the completion of their £2.6M cold store upgrade project, which was match funded by DEFRAs UK Seafood Fund.  The upgrade has more than doubled the capacity of their temperature controlled warehouse and is now substantially more energy efficient, contributing to Fastnet’s commitment to decarbonisation – which is no mean feat in the energy-intensive cold storage sector.
 
The improvement initiative has resulted in the following benefits:
 
•              Increased capacity of racking of 2000 additional pallet locations
20% reduction in annual external storage charges
50% reduction in transport shuttling between stores, saving on transport CO2 emissions

•              New refrigeration plant throughout and enclosed loading bay to prevent thermal load
20% reduction in annual electricity consumption
 
•  Solar PV array has produced 132,000 kWh of electricity in its first year – 11% of the total cold store electricity consumed
•              Voltage optimisation
Reduction in electricity usage of 5 – 8%

•              Decarbonisation
Reduction in electricity of 400,000 kwh which is 82,828kg CO²e – the Carbon footprint equivalent of 41 cars per year

•              New dock levellers and electric forklift trucks
Reduction in diesel and carbon emissions
Handballing and euro pallet facilities saving demurrage and external handballing/intake costs

•              Additional savings include:
75% reduction in plant repairs and maintenance costs
100% reduction in water charges/water treatment costs

•              Strengthening the local economy
Nearly all work carried out by local companies
Additional jobs created:
Cold store manager and operatives
Multi-drop driver

Claire White with our principle contractor Ricky Lewis Coldstar Refrigeration Ltd at our opening event

About Fastnet Fish:

The Fastnet group, which includes wholesale depots, a langoustine factory in Scotland and sales offices in the U.K. and Ireland, has been providing high-quality, sustainably sourced seafood since 1980. We are a team of passionate and dedicated professionals who are committed to bringing you the best seafood products from around the world. With over 40 years of experience, we have become global sourcing experts in the seafood industry, supplying over 45,000 tonnes of high quality seafood to food service, fish and chip shops and food manufacturers every year.  Seafood supplied by Fastnet can be found on the shelf of every major supermarket in the UK, and in many of the UK’s finest restaurants.
 
Fastnet Fish has built an international reputation as one of the leaders in its chosen markets. The Fastnet name has become synonymous with top quality, an extensive product range and the highest level of customer service. Our commitment to quality is underlined by our policy of regularly travelling around the world, visiting and auditing our suppliers to ensure they are meeting the specifications that our customers expect.
Our main area of expertise and core business is sourcing fish and seafood on a worldwide basis but with the convenience of extensive stock in the U.K. and Ireland to ensure that you are never far from some of the world’s tastiest and most exotic species. 
As part of the esteemed Andrew Marr International group, Fastnet has the flexibility to react quickly and effectively to new challenges in a rapidly changing and highly competitive marketplace. 
 
We strive to bring the finest selection of fish and seafood to our customers at the best prices from sustainable sources. Great emphasis is placed on the sustainability of all the products we source, ensuring that customers can buy from us in the knowledge that the utmost care is taken to deliver the highest quality products.
 
Fastnet has not only managed to meet the global challenges of recent years but has grown from strength to strength, successfully diversifying into the fresh fish market and providing new and exciting products from around the world. As people’s tastes become more sophisticated, we aim to keep up with this trend by extending our product range and developing innovative and tasty products to delight the palate, as well as supplying traditional favourites.
 
Our aim is always to deliver a world class service and our dedication to responsible supply is an integral part of our business. We are committed to transparency and traceability and work closely with our suppliers to ensure we have full visibility throughout the supply chain. We have MSC and ASC accreditation, are members of SEDEX, FASFA (Frozen At Sea Fillet Association) and have been awarded BRC Global Standard for Agents and Brokers.