Morrisons opens UK’s largest fish freezing centre in Cornwall

Morrisons has opened the largest fish freezing centre in the UK, in Cornwall.

Myton Food Group, Morrisons’ food manufacturing supplier, opened the Falfish Freezing Centre that can individually quick freeze up to 180 tonnes of sardines and other varieties of fish per day.

The £12.8m development at the Myton-owned Cornish fishing business Falfish is the largest and most advanced seafood freezing line in the UK, it said.

It has a freezing tunnel that can freeze 112,000 fish per hour – the equivalent of nine arctic truckloads per day.

Plans for the site began in 2021 and the opening of the centre represents the largest single investment made in Cornish shoresides in a generation, with Defra providing £3.8m of the funding through its UK Seafood Infrastructure Fund.

“Over 80% of the fish and shellfish sold in Morrisons stores comes from our seafood operations in Cornwall, where we buy directly from local fishermen,” said Andrew Thornber, MD of Myton Food Group. “Opening the UK’s largest fish freezing centre not only strengthens our position as one of Britain’s biggest foodmakers but also significantly grows our seafood export business.”

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Morrisons prepares and makes more than half of all fresh food sold in its stores and the new site will allow for fresh fish to be frozen and packed in just an hour.

The manufacturer said it would allow customers to enjoy a wider range of fresh high-quality fish and shellfish in stores and at Market Street counters.

The facility has an innovative hot gas system that uses heat that is produced to rapidly defrost the freezer tunnel, which makes it the most efficient and effective way to cool the plant. It also uses ammonia gas as a refrigerant which has zero global warming potential, said the company. 

“We have been excited about this innovative project since acquiring Falfish in 2021, which makes such a positive difference to the local industry and community and provides a sustainable future – as well as the freshest fish for customers in Morrisons stores,” said Thornber.