A chef at a popular seaside restaurant knows exactly where his fresh fish comes from – he catches it himself!
George Hornsby is head chef at The Fishing Boat Inn in Boulmer in Northumberland, just a few steps from the sea where he loves to spend his spare time.
"It is quite a special feeling to catch the fish and then bring it back to the restaurant to cook and serve to customers,” he admitted. The 38-year-old is a member of the Alnwick Sea Angling Club.
“I get all the fresh fish caught by the club members on a Sunday and bring it back to the restaurant that evening to fillet and prepare it for serving in the restaurant,” he explained.
"It’s good that none of our catch is being thrown back and wasted.”
George, who trained and spent many years at the Cook and Barker Inn at Newton-on-the-Moor before moving on to Lilburns in Alnwick, has been at the Fishing Boat Inn for 18 months.
"I love it here, especially with it being right on the coast,” he admitted. “It’s a prime spot with the fishing right on the doorstep and a great place to serve up cod and chips.”
Emmerdale couple Jeff Hordley and Zoe Henry, who play Cain Dingle and Rhona Goskirk in the popular ITV drama, were visitors earlier this week.
Owner Lisa Mason, who took over from her parents Margaret and Michael Boyle two years ago, said: “Where else can you get fish that fresh?
“Sometimes our customers ask where the fish came from and I tell them it just about swam past our window.
"It must certainly be pretty unique that our head chef is going out to catch them and then brings them in for cooking.”
Recently, George proved his angling prowess when he won the Bedlington Station SAC Northumbrian Open against a field of more than 70. He took the heaviest bag prize for landing four cod for 11lbs 3oz and the heaviest fish with a 5lbs 9oz cod.
"I love my fishing,” he said. “And it’s great that it helps out at the restaurant,”
Read the article in the northumberland gazette here