In February 2006 the Harbour Lights made a commitment to only sell fish from sustainable stocks. It is important to us that you should be able to eat our fish guilt free. It is also vital that the fish and chip industry has a viable long-term future.

The taste and smell of freshly cooked fish and chips, on a winter’s evening eaten by the fire or in the summer sat on the quay fighting away seagulls, must not be allowed to become a distant memory.

For more information about how we ensure that all our fish comes from sustainable sources:

• See where our fish comes from
• Read our buying policy

The amount of packaging created by our operations is of big concern to us. In 2009 our take-away served over 180,000 customers. That’s potentially a lot of litter if it doesn’t end up in the right place. First priority was to get rid of horrible polystyrene trays and boxes that were used for packaging. So we now have cardboard boxes, which have the added bonus of keeping the batter crispier, less food sweating.

We take part in regular litter patrols around our premises. Sam Cod has said he will help out this summer. The Harbour Lights is very lucky to be positioned, hanging over the end of such a picturesque harbour, and we don’t want to spoil the view.

 

At the Harbour Lights, we have always used vegetable oil, specifically Palm Oil, as our cooking medium. The fish and chip traditionalists swear by beef dripping, but we prefer the lighter taste of vegetable oil and want to keep our fish and chips accessible to all, be you a vegetarian or fish and meat eater.

There is currently concern however that man’s demand for palm oil is endangering Orangutans and the Sumatran Tiger, as their natural habitat is shrinking to make room for more palm planations. Worldwide concern caused the formation of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in April 2004. Our palm oil supplier has been a member of RSPO since its inception.

Looking at all ways we can be more energy efficient, from the obvious using low energy light bulbs to the less obvious, including the dusting of the grilles on the back of our fridges in our cleaning schedules so they run more efficiently.
We also look in detail at how our suppliers use energy and where we can encourage them to be more efficient. As part of this, and our ongoing policy to support Cornish busineses, we source as much of our supplies as possible locally. A benefit for the local economy and reducing the number of lorries hammering up and down the A30 and M5.
*** A major success in this one occurred in 2007, when we found a local farmer, Kevin Williams of Hill View Farm (Allet), who could supply us with cornish potatoes twelve months of the year.