D. R. Collin Fish Ltd

Scottish seafood from Eyemouth, sold online and to restaurants

D. R. Collin Fish Ltd is a fishmonger and seafood supplier based in Eyemouth, Berwickshire, in the south of Scotland. The company states that it was established in 1952 and that it fishes in local waters and lands its catch in Eyemouth, a town five miles north of the English border where the mouth of the river Eye forms a natural harbour. Its activity combines an online shop for private customers with wholesale supply to restaurants.

The company presents itself as supplying award-winning restaurants both around the country and around the world, and describes its role as monitoring and overseeing every stage of its produce, from the shore to the customer's door.

What the online shop sells

The website is organised into five sales categories, each with its own section:

• Fresh produce
• Smoked produce
• Shellfish
• Cooked products
• Frozen products

The shellfish range named in the site's own description includes live shellfish, lobsters, langoustines, cooked langoustines, dressed lobster and dressed crab. The company also highlights smoked trout, salmon and haddock among the products customers mention buying.

Cooking plant and production capacity

According to the site, the company set up its own dedicated cooking plant in 2008. It states that the business has since grown to include eight dedicated plants and fresh fish shops around the UK, which it says has widened its product range and allows it to supply the full range of cooked and fresh produce.

Delivery across mainland UK

Online orders are dispatched Monday to Friday to anywhere in mainland UK. The company works with the courier APC for overnight and contactless delivery and sends customers a tracking number with a link. Parcels may be left in a safe place unless the customer specifies otherwise when ordering. Additional charges apply to the Highlands and islands, and some areas fall within a two-day delivery zone. Free delivery is offered on orders over £60.

Orders are packed according to their contents, with some items vacuum-packed. Everything is placed in a polystyrene box with frozen chill packs containing a food-safe gel, arranged to spread the cold evenly, and the box is then sealed with tape.

Own transport fleet and international customers

Beyond courier deliveries, the company runs its own transport fleet of more than 50 vehicles, which it says allows it to collect from and deliver to suppliers and international customers. Destinations such as Boulogne Sur Mer are served daily. The fleet described on the site comprises:

• Small vans of 1,000 kg, fully refrigerated, with capacity for 2 pallets
• Light delivery vans of 2,000 kg, fully refrigerated, with capacity for 6 pallets
• Medium delivery vans of 13,000 kg, fully refrigerated, with capacity for 16 pallets
• Artic trucks with options for live produce, 22,000 kg, fully refrigerated, with capacity for 26 pallets

Mobile fish van in the Scottish Borders

The company also operates a mobile fish van that brings seafood directly to customers. The vans cover the Scottish Borders and north Northumberland, and the company describes the offer as covering anything that swims. One scheduled stop is at Bowmount car park in Kelso, on Tuesdays.

Customer feedback

The reviews displayed on the site, attributed to Google, give the business a score of 4.8 out of 5 based on 43 reviews. The comments reproduced refer to the freshness and quality of the fish, the range available, the price and the helpfulness of shop staff, as well as repeated deliveries and in-person visits to the shop.