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When we started to look at what we were going to serve at Fishy Fishy, the seasonal availability of fish and shellfish did take us by surprise. It seems obvious to us now but the types of fish available vary enormously depending on how warm or cold the sea water is. We are all so used to eating strawberries at Christmas or lobster on New Year’s Eve that we never really think about when food is actually in season and, therefore, at its best. So if you want to save money while still enjoying good-quality fish, think carefully about what’s in season – you can usually always find a suitable alternative (see the chart on page 187).

During the hot summer months our thoughts turn to sitting outside with a nice cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc and maybe some mackerel or Cornish sardines spitting away over the hot coals of a barbecue. And what could be better than tucking into a cold crab or lobster with crisp French fries, or dunking deep-fried calamari into freshly made garlic mayonnaise? Well it turns out all these are available in plentiful supply across the summer months. So they are not going to cost the earth.

In winter lobsters and sea bass disappear to find calmer, warmer waters while the white fish return with the colder seas. Cod, pollock, hake and whiting all make an appearance and before you know it, it’s scallop season. You should avoid some flat fish in mid-winter when they are spawning but they are still around. So if you want to eat lobster in the middle of winter it’s probably going to be flown in from Canada and it will cost a lot more money.

If you really want fresh, local fish and shellfish you are going to have to accept that you can’t have it all, all of the time. But what you will have will be of the best quality, probably not cost the earth and taste great. For me there’s nothing better than looking forward to that first line-caught mackerel of the summer or rediscovering fresh scallops pan-fried with a little garlic butter on a cold winter night.