Love Local
Sally ' s Fish Camp
Abbotsbury , Dorset 07969 397512 www . sallysfishcamp . co . uk
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Up until summer 2017 , the idea of enjoying a bucket of fresh crab , lobster , prawns , and chilled wine on a Dorset beach was still a dream . Thanks to Sally ’ s Fish Camp , it ’ s now not only a reality but also ridiculously easy . Just browse the list of best sellers on the website , order before 5pm , and your shellfish extravaganza will be delivered to your chosen beach , marina or home the next day , providing it ’ s within the catchment area .
The eponymous Sally is a West Country girl at heart but raised inland . This meant that the memory of trips to the coast in summer with fresh shellfish as a treat held a special charm . After 20 years in the hospitality sector , Sally and family moved to Abbotsbury in 2013 and quickly fell in love with coastal living full-time . Sally and her husband had a summer ritual of heading down to the beach at sunset with a cooked crab and a bottle of wine and soon noticed two things : no one else was doing the same thing , and lots of people wanted to know how to do it .
So in summer 2017 , Sally ’ s Fish Camp was born , with Sally buying a refrigerated van and delivering seafood crates down to friends on the beach . Not just any crates , though , and no ordinary seafood either . Each crate is handmade by Sally ’ s dad and comes with a galvanized bucket for chilled wine and a container to put the shells in . It comes brimming with Portland crab , lobster , local wine and prawns .
“ The whole idea is to create an experience , a memory of that day in Dorset ,” says Sally .
With trade tailing off after summer , Sally picks up during winter with crab cracking workshops . “ We do them in people ’ s kitchens for small groups of up to 10 people , at local vineyards such as Langham Estate , or at wine tasting rooms like Morrish & Banham in Dorchester . “ I ’ ll bring some crab canapes and we ’ ll match them to the wine . It goes so well ,” says Sally .
“ Some people just don ’ t know what to do with a crab , but we have cracking fun ,” Sally says . “ We get rid of all the embarrassment and people are always surprised how much meat you can get out of one crab . It ’ s very sociable too .”
There is no comparison to buying local , Sally believes . “ We ’ re blessed with great shellfish down here , and the money goes straight back into the community supporting local businesses and fishermen . We have this high-quality product that is fresher , better tasting and more sustainable than anywhere else . And it ’ s caught , cooked and delivered within 24 hours .”
www . menu-dorset . co . uk