FISH-and-chips chef Shaun Hatton has been such a hit selling mackerel in Weymouth, he’s been asked to set up stall outside Parliament.
Celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall has been so impressed by the Marlboro’s new baps that he has roped Shaun into helping him win over MPs in his own campaign to save fish stocks.
Shaun was supposed to take his wife Ann to Brighton this morning to celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary.
But instead she will be getting there via London after her husband puts in a shift in Westminster with Axminster chef Hugh and Jamie Oliver.
The Marlboro manager said: “When he first asked me I was like ‘oh my God’.
“On Thursday night he said ‘I know it’s short notice but can you come up and sell mackerel to the MPs?’ “I felt a bit nervous first of all but if David Cameron wants one I’ll just ask him if he wants relish on it.”
Hugh is trying to reduce the number of fish that fishermen throw back and waste due to fishing quotas.
So he has called on Shaun to serve his dish to the PM and the rest of the House of Commons to persuade them to change the laws.
Shaun added: “He’s going up to the MPs to try and make people aware of the fact that the laws are ridiculous.”
TV cameras have already been to the Marlboro to film Mr Hatton making and selling his mackerel baps for the new series Hugh’s Fish Fight.
The Marlboro has been trying to sell more mackerel than haddock and plaice and in the last week has been successful.
Shaun serves them up deep fried with tartar sauce, sweet chilli, his home-made spicy apple and walnut chutney and other toppings.
He said: “It’s going well.
“We take all the bones out of the mackerel and on Friday we sold more than haddock and plaice put together.
“I’m 99 per cent sure this is going to work and be successful for us.”
In Hugh’s Fish Fight, the TV chef is hoping to get more fish and chip shops to make mackerel popular as it is one of the fish that gets wasted.
Shaun’s next project for Hugh’s show is to go to Moss Side in Manchester to try and make mackerel more popular there.
The show will be screened from January next year.
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