Fishcakes Catch the Comeback Consumer

The retail value of fish cakes has grown 24 per cent year on year and is now enjoying stronger growth than trendy lunchtime favourite, sushi.

Firmly re-establishing itself on dinner plates up and down the country, sales at Waitrose have increased by 55 per cent in the past year, with the supermarket’s smoked haddock pre-packed fish cakes seeing the biggest increase - 88 per cent year on year.

With fish cakes being a healthy and affordable option, the choice and variety of flavours in both fresh and frozen has escalated in recent years.

Karen Galloway, Market Planning Manager at Seafish, says: “Fish cakes are climbing in popularity due to the ‘easy cook’ factor and the attractive price tag to match. The return of this ‘trendy’ meal option has also been helped by the endorsement of celebrity chefs and the introduction of new flavours for the more discerning customer such as seabass, ginger and Thai-spiced varieties.”

Waitrose Fish Buyer, Jeremy Langley says: “Last week alone, Waitrose sold over 7 tonnes of chilled fish cakes. Fish cakes are perfect for a mid week supper and can be served with a simple salad. They make an easy option for time-poor cooks who want to enjoy a filling and nutritious dinner with minimal effort."

Should you choose to make fishcakes yourself -they are a quick and easy way to use up leftovers.

Karen Galloway adds: “Virtually any leftover seafood can be turned into a tasty supper dish by simply adding potatoes, seasoning and binding together with an egg. The ready-made ones can give us all inspiration as to what flavours to make at home. It's also a great way to get kids cooking - they love moulding fishcakes and by getting them involved in making them, they are much more keen to eat them as well.”