On a blustery November day in North Devon, two fishermen land the day’s catch. Dressed from head-to-toe in yellow waterproofs for protection against the chilly wind, they half slop, half tip gallon after gallon of their cargo into a large plastic container.  They are brothers Stephen and Tommy Perham, and their catch today is the prized herring. They are the  last remaining fishermen of the picturesque town of Clovelly’s herring fleet, and November marks for them the start of the short British herring fishing season.

 The chocolate box village of Clovelly lures many thousands of visitors to its steeply cobbled streets each year. Here herring fishing was once a way of life, records dating back to the 1700s show the port once boasted a fleet of one hundred boats. Now in its 38^th year, the Clovelly Herring Festival is not only the oldest known festival of the herring but also one of the Devon’s best known winter attractions. Brave the cold and come to Clovelly this year for its for its special feast of smoked kippers, maritime crafts, sea shanties and cider. Fisherman Stephen says “Herring is still much loved in kitchens in the Clovelly area, but rising living standards have suffocated a market for the fish elsewhere, the big markets like Brixham and Plymouth aren’t interested in herring”

Other towns too have a passion for the fish.

A once-famous fishing port, today Hastings creates headlines for its social problems rather than its fishing heritage. Keeping its fishy tradition alive is HASTINGS FISH, an organisation that promotes the town’s sustainable fishing credentials and organiser of the annual herring fair.  In season visitors arrive early to a battered wooden hut on the beach to buy fish so fresh it’s just a few hours off the boat. Then in November they come back, when the sea is brooding and grey, for the food stalls, cookery demonstrations and live music on the pebbly beach. 

The shoals arrive earlier in the year on the East Anglian coast, where the Hemsby Herring Festival takes place in late August. Paul Williams is one of Great Yarmouth’s last remaining herring fisherman who nets, catches and smokes them into kippers. He still believes that there is a market amongst the younger generation. “Most of our customers are over 50” he says, “but youngsters tuck into them more than a burger. We just need to find more ways of promoting them”. 

Pickled, soused, barbecued or fried the expansion of the herring trade goes back to the 15^th century when populations spread across and beyond Europe to the Americas. Recipes and traditions followed. Early Jewish immigrants on New York’s Lower East side opened a herring stall back in 1907.  The fish was popular, and cheap – poor city residents could buy three protein-rich herrings for just 10 cents. Now, a century on, New York is home to the Manhattan Herring Club where artisan herring curer Eric Moed boasts an impressive menu that includes matjes with Kimchi, sesame oil and cucumber, schmaltz with rosemary, citron and balsamic reduction, and wasabi Dijon and truffle oil honey. 

Back on the menu

Though languishing near the bottom of the popularity rankings, consumption of herring has been boosted by celebrity chefs whose simple dishes have made fish-shy home cooks give it a go. Chef Rick Stein advises against novice cooks being put off by the smell “Even notoriously smelly fish such as sardines should smell good when they’re fresh, “he says “so trust your instincts – gills should be pink or red and the fish should have clear, bright eyes”.

But there’s a way to go till British tastes catch up with our European neighbours. The cuisines of The Netherlands, Germany and Scandinavia all embrace herring and in each there’s a different way to eat it – whether that’s Amsterdam’s soused raw variety simply served chopped on bread, or the alternative traditional method of holding the fish by its tail, dipping in onion and swallowing it whole. Or perhaps more palatable, in Germany herring is served with potatoes, cream or yoghurt sauces with onions and gherkins. But it’s in Scandinavia where the silver darlings are most revered and where herring is the traditional dish to serve for Midsummer’s Eve celebrations – herrings are laid to rot in a barrel with herbs, over time the fish ferments to produce a foul-smelling-but-tasty product the Swedes call surstrumming. For those with strong stomachs, the Scandinavian Kitchen in London sells it nationwide by mail order. Maybe not just yet for the more sensitive palette.   

Why to introduce more oily fish into your diet

1. It’s good for your heart – rich in Omega-3 oils and low in saturated fats, it can protect against heart disease and lower blood cholesterol
2. Improved circulation – the EPA and DHA can reduce the risk of blood clots and inflammation
3. Joint benefits – a recent link between omega-3 fats and reduction in symptoms shows it could help to prevent arthritis
4. Eye health – regular consumption keeps eyes healthy and prevent against age related macular degeneration
5. One of life’s essentials – iodine, selenium, zinc and potassium as well as vitamins A and D.