 Shopping in Stoke Newington High
Street, especially on a wet Saturday morning, is not everybody's idea of a good time.
Traffic fumes fill the air, kids on bikes weave around on the crowded pavements and grumpy
pedestrians bump into each other. Not always a cheerful experience.
The sound of talk and laughter comes as a bit of a surprise as you reach a shop full of
people looking at fish. 'Right, madam, take your time, but hurry up!' shouts a stocky man
in fishmonger's gear. The large lady is not bothered. 'Impatient, impatient, that's what
you are - you can't wait to take my money.' 'Don't you believe it, darling, we do this for
love.'
Johnny Sutton, somewhere in his fifties, is the man with the banter. Good-humoured and
energetic, he has the air of someone who's been round the block a few times. He works for
his son Danny, a darker, taller bloke, equally quick with the chat and the person who
decided to take a risk and set up the shop just over two years ago. The other member of
the trio, Brian - a bit quieter today, after a good night out - grafts away, cutting and
filleting the fish. Cywmone, who works on Saturdays, is serving behind the smoked fish
counter. Many of the fish look exotic. Doctor Fish, Pollock, Butterfish, Indian Pomfret,
JackTrevally (from New Zealand), Tilapia (African) and Caribbean Lane Snapper lie
alongside the more usual Salmon, Mullet, Bream, Trout, Swordfish, Cornish Cod, Haddock and
Skate.
The customers are a lively bunch, giving as good as they get. What do they think about
the shop? 'Wicked,' says Verdensia, originally from Montserrat. The guys are more charming
than the fish - I think,' laughs Monica, also from the West Indies 'Smashing', 'really
lovely' and 'lots of fun', others comment. Betty Manning, long-time Stoke Newington
resident, prefers The Fishery to Steve Hatt in Essex Road. 'Not so pompous.' Her husband
swaps recipes with the staff.
Julie, born in Jamaica, reckons the fish is 'exceptional' and explains how she cooks
Fish Tea, a soup made from Bream or Mullet with vegetables, herbs and peppers. Valerie is
thankful that she no longer has to travel to Clapton to buy fresh fish. Only one small
note of dissent: a young woman from Istanbul says the shop is a bit expensive compared
with those in her home town. A youngish couple discuss what to have for dinner.
The Fishery is not only there for shoppers; it also supplies local restaurants. Robbie
Richards of the Fox Reformed, Church Street, says, 'We used to buy from the big suppliers
but they were too impersonal and didn't really care too much about their smaller
customers. Danny is different, he's local and supplies us promptly with good quality
seafood.'
The previous fishmonger, near the Jolly Butchers pub, shut down about thirteen years
ago. Most local people thought that they would never see another fishmonger in the area as
the small shops closed under pressure from the supermarkets. Danny, however, had other
ideas.
 He'd been working for Johnny in Ridley Road Market selling and
delivering poultry. During his deliveries he'd noticed the derelict shop next to the busy
butchers in the High Street. It was time to take a chance and see whether he could start
an equally successful fresh fish outlet. After obtaining a bank loan, he renovated the
premises himself and asked Johnny and Brian to work with him.
Johnny already ran several successful businesses - including four butcher's shops and a
farm in Cambridge - and was happy to be involved. Brian, 'Cockney and proud of it', had
worked most of the markets in the East End with eight years experience as a fishmonger.
The business is now thriving but it's not an easy life. Danny is up most mornings at 4.30
am to collect fish from Billingsgate or Terminal 4 at Heathrow for the imports. Fresh
salmon is delivered daily from Scotland.
Danny says some people come to the shop without much idea of what they want or how to
cook it. He and his colleagues are always prepared to give advice and there are cookbooks
behind the counter that can be quickly scanned by the customer. Why is the shop so
cheerful? He has a simple answer: 'if you're going to part people from their money, it's
much better if they enjoy it.' Many of London's best-known stand-up comedians started out
in the pubs and clubs of Stoke Newington. Perhaps the shop should be renamed 'The Fishery
and Comedy Store.' Even fish can get hooked on humour.
The Fishery is at 111 Stoke Newington High Street. Open Tuesday - Saturday 8.00am
5.30pm. |
