We learn about the versatility of canned fish and the vision of Sea Sisters to offer sustainable options, using fish in our waters that are in season and abundance. And by building solid relationships with their fish suppliers, Sea Sisters can get the freshest catch to turn into tasty marinated fish and seafood, taking canned fish to another level and offering a premium product ready for you to enjoy any time.  
Angus also explains how Sea Sisters aims for zero waste by skillfully pairing fish cuts not often used with incredible marinade recipes made with local produce. 

Angus started his family business with his partner Charlotte, bang in the middle of the first lockdown. He talks about the challenges of perfecting his recipes in his home kitchen and testing new canning equipment that came with a Russian manual. Add two small kids running around the place to the mix, and it’ll paint the picture of how this fantastic family business started.
His story gives us a great insight into the journey of an entrepreneur in the food space. And the hard work required behind the scenes before you can even show a product to sell.

His mother is a chef, so Angus grew up surrounded by great food. But his introduction to the restaurant world happened ten years ago at the first Jamie’s Italian restaurant in Oxford. Learning all about producing delicious dishes, but also learning about the provenance of the ingredients, their heritage and cultural reference. 
This experience was the cornerstone of Angus’s career. From Jamie’s Italian, Angus worked for Sam Clark at Moro as a commis before starting at Trullo, where he flourished as a chef.

In this Service Please! episode, we talk to the owner of a freshly established family business that’s here to disrupt the canned fish market. Angus Cowan co-founded Sea Sisters, the only fish cannery in England. Sea Sisters is a family company that delivers quality British seafood, located in the hills of West Dorset, a few miles from the sea. 
 
Sea Sisters’ mission is to support and promote a sustainable British fishing industry. But they will also wow you with Angus’s creative, out-of-this-world recipes that turn canned fish and seafood into must-haves for your pantry. 
 
Bonus for our listeners - an exclusive recipe from Sea Sisters. Check at the end.
It all started at Jamie’s Italian ‘flagship’ restaurant
His mother is a chef, so Angus grew up surrounded by great food. But his introduction to the restaurant world happened ten years ago at the first Jamie’s Italian restaurant in Oxford. Learning all about producing delicious dishes, but also learning about the provenance of the ingredients, their heritage and cultural reference. 
 
This experience was the cornerstone of Angus’s career. From Jamie’s Italian, Angus worked for Sam Clark at Moro as a commis before starting at Trullo, where he flourished as a chef.  
Starting the first English fish cannery from home
Angus started his family business with his partner Charlotte, bang in the middle of the first lockdown. He talks about the challenges of perfecting his recipes in his home kitchen and testing new canning equipment that came with a Russian manual. Add two small kids running around the place to the mix, and it’ll paint the picture of how this fantastic family business started.
 
His story gives us a great insight into the journey of an entrepreneur in the food space. And the hard work required behind the scenes before you can even show a product to sell. 
Is sustainable fishing possible?
We learn about the versatility of canned fish and the vision of Sea Sisters to offer sustainable options, using fish in our waters that are in season and abundance. And by building solid relationships with their fish suppliers, Sea Sisters can get the freshest catch to turn into tasty marinated fish and seafood, taking canned fish to another level and offering a premium product ready for you to enjoy at any time.  
 
Angus also explains how Sea Sisters aims for zero waste by skillfully pairing fish cuts not often used with incredible marinade recipes made with local produce. Once canned, they’re ready to eat on bread or crackers or used in cooking.
All this was inspired by Angus and Charlotte’s trips in a transit van across Europe, enjoying tinned fish and seafood on baguettes combined with fresh local produce. And a good marinade or infused oils that bring out the best of any fish cut is a winner. This is what Sea Sisters is all about.
Building a premium brand that’s sustainable and authentic 
Angus is proudly building a family legacy by turning the fish cannery on its head. Sea Sisters offer premium artisanal preserves that deliver in taste, packed in aesthetically pleasing tins with an authentic vibe.
 
By using high-quality British ingredients in its recipes, Sea Sisters’ unique range of tinned fish and seafood brings the opportunity to enjoy the resources our waters and land provide sustainably.
Be part of the change for the better. Check out the Sea Sisters range.
Angus can help you get creative with some recipe ideas. Here’s one he wanted to share with our listeners. Enjoy!
 
Ingredients:
Sea sisters cuttlefish in ink x 1
Spaghetti x 120g
Butter x 1 knob
Dried chilli flakes x 1/4 TSP (depending on spice level)
A handful of chopped parsley
 
This dish is so easy and so damn tasty, just don't overcook your pasta! (Tip: always take it out of the water 1 minute before being totally cooked and finish in the sauce) 
 
This can of cuttlefish in ink is rich and packed full of flavour. The aim is to carry the flavour from the can throughout the pasta dish and a little knob of butter at the end helps to do this.
Cook your pasta in heavily salted water
Whilst cooking your pasta gently warm up the contents of the can in a sauce pan. Add a splash of water so you don't lose out on sauce whilst it heats up
When the pasta is almost done, transfer it to the simmering sauce. Use a pair of tongs or wooden spoon to gently bring it all together. 
Add a knob of butter (and a splash of water if needed. You don't want claggy pasta!)
Add dried chilli flakes and chopped parsley and combine once more. 
Season to taste. Serve up and slurp!
 
Tell us how you did with that tasty recipe!

Meriel lets us in on her favourite vegan restaurants in London. There are some amazing places for you to try, as well as Club Mexicana of course. So if you’re looking for places where you can enjoy fantastic vegan food in an equally fantastic atmosphere, listen to this Service Please! Snack episode. Please share your experience with us. 
 
And if you want to know more about Club Mexicana’s tasty vegan food and off-the-chart fun atmosphere, listen to the full episode where Meriel tells us all about rebranding veganism and making it something people want to be part of.
 
Like, comment and subscribe to hear more about all things food.
 
Service Please! is also on:
 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC88hWrBStdMvVDxZnrelRAQ
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@service.please
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-paterson-603680210/

The food space is a great example of what it’s like to work within an industry with values and purpose. 
Meriel talks about the community pulling together during the pandemic with Sports Banger's help, putting money back into struggling food businesses and providing food for NHS staff and Food Banks across London.
 
Like, comment and subscribe to hear more about all things food.
 
Service Please! is also on:
 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC88hWrBStdMvVDxZnrelRAQ
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@service.please
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-paterson-603680210/

It’s been a harsh few years for the hospitality industry. And although places have been bustling with customers eager to get back to the fun of eating out, businesses within the food industry haven’t returned to their pre-pandemic performance just yet. 
 
And it will take another few years for business owners to recover completely, as they witnessed the massive erosion of their cash flow and savings.
 
Like, comment and subscribe to hear more about all things food.
 
Service Please! is also on:
 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC88hWrBStdMvVDxZnrelRAQ
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@service.please
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-paterson-603680210/

Meriel created a vegan brand that makes people stop, come in and try her awesome great-tasting food. 
 
And a place like Club Mexicana was needed to shake things up in the vegan food scene. A fun place with a great vibe that satisfies a variety of appetites with sustainable food that delivers in taste and creativity.  
The success of Club Mexicana lies in the service, music and vibe. Meriel explains that “90% of why people are there is not for what’s on the plate”. Instead, people want to sit there, have a drink and have fun.
Like, comment and subscribe to hear more about all things food.
 
Service Please! is also on:
 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC88hWrBStdMvVDxZnrelRAQ
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@service.please
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-paterson-603680210/

Meriel tells us that an entrepreneurial mother raised her, so she never knew what patriarchy was before working in a male-dominated industry like the food industry. But there’s another aspect to the food space. It’s an incredibly supportive community. 
We learn how mentalities within the food space are changing. How even the movers and shakers of the industry recognise that things can’t continue the way they are and veganism is the food of the future.
Like, comment and subscribe to hear more about all things food.
 
Service Please! is also on:
 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC88hWrBStdMvVDxZnrelRAQ
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@service.please
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-paterson-603680210/

You probably don’t need someone to hold your hand when you go into business. And there will be many things you’ll learn by just doing the job and making your own mistakes. But being able to reach out to people for help is critical. Even if they are in a different industry, there will be tons of valuable advice that’s transferable.
The food industry is a community like no other. Meriel explains how she could always reach out to someone for advice and tips on running her business. For example, Zan Kaufman, founder of Bleecker Burger, was amazing at advising Meriel on running a restaurant, with insight on the financial aspect and how to manage a team.
 
Like, comment and subscribe to hear more about all things food.
 
Service Please! is also on:
 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC88hWrBStdMvVDxZnrelRAQ
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@service.please
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-paterson-603680210/