Fishing For Lobsters
“As a fisherman, you soon realise that the early bird gets the worm,” he explains, as Jason sleepily makes himself comfortable for the long day ahead. “I’m out at the crack of dawn, often not returning until the sun sets.” Heading up to eight miles offshore, he sticks to the Jurassic Coast off Purbeck as well as Poole Bay, both of which make for fruitful fishing because of their unique geology and tides. And he’s certainly thorough – he has over 600 lobster pots dotted around, all set in strings of 30. Depending on the conditions, he’ll haul in 6-10 a day through depths of up to 150 feet. Once upon a time, this would have been done by hand, but much to Jason’s relief, a winch now takes the load.
Although the best time to catch lobster is in the summer, Tom pots for them all year round. But luckily for our kitchens, only the very best make the grade. “Call me picky, but I won’t settle for anything less than perfect. The lobsters and crabs have to be in prime condition, above minimum size and without eggs. I’m looking for two healthy claws on the lobsters and a hard, heavy shell on the crabs. If they’re not up to scratch, I throw them back unscathed. There’s no point in presenting a mediocre catch to a chef like Jason!”
Jason’s commitment to sustainable and locally sourced ingredients is notorious, and it seems Tom feels exactly the same. “It’s incredibly important to fish sustainably and responsibly – it keeps the waters well-stocked and guards against the unnatural depletion of certain species. And by sourcing from local fishermen, you’re helping the area’s economy, shortening the supply chain and ultimately cutting down the nautical miles from source to plate.”
This is why we’re committed to serving Tom’s produce in our restaurants – he shares our passion for the environment. Plus, he’s as fastidious about the quality of his produce as we are. Glance at any one of our menus and you’ll see that we love supporting local producers, from Dorset’s winemakers all the way through to Poole’s dedicated fishermen.