Lizard based Kelynack Cornish Fish, suppliers of fresh Cornish seafood to top restaurants throughout the UK, has been awarded an Objective 1 Fisheries grant.

The grant will be used to help purchase a fish skinning machine and an Ice making machine, to meet demand from chefs for top quality prepared fish. Before purchasing the machine, the fish has had to be skinned by hand, which takes a long time and is harder the fresher the fish. The machine will assist the company meet growing customer demand.

The ice maker will also allow the company to produce ice on demand, which is especially important to maintain quality in the summer months.

The project will secure two full time jobs and will create two part time job. It will also add further value to the fish and increase sales, benefiting a Cornish business

Alison Elvey, Objective One Fisheries Programme Manager, stated, "Objective 1 fisheries grants can really help small businesses like Kelynack Cornish Fish improve their product and therefore secure their customer base. The company supplies top UK restaurants with a top quality Cornish product. This type of product will assist to secure markets for Cornish fish into the future."

Mrs Lewis from Kelynack Cornish Fish stated, "I was really pleased to be awarded an objective one fisheries grant to help me buy two machines. The business needed the Ice maker and skinning machine-having the grant has meant that I can have both at the same time rather than spreading the cost over three years. I am very grateful for the help received from the Pesca office in Truro and Mandy Milano from the Rural Development Commission in completing the application forms without which I would never have succeeded. Even so the process took nearly a year so I would assume that the 6 years I am tied to the scheme applies from the date of the original application."