Platform 1 teams up with The Wright Brothers for Dartmouth Food Festival

The Wright Brothers were over with Platform 1 in force for this year’s Dartmouth Food Festival. Les Daniels, Director of Wrights Bros Brixham and Louis Fahey, Senior Sales Exec and Ben Wright, Co-founder of Wright Bros were on fine form on Saturday during the 2021 Festival, and in fact the oyster and gin stand were mobbed for most of the day with Lindisfarne and Carlingford available to try with gin.  Ben gave a fantastic tasting talk in the afternoon in Platform 1. Ben is a huge oyster enthusiast who likes talking to anyone who will listen about oysters – how they’re grown, how they’re purified, how good they are for you and how to shuck, prepare and, even, how to eat them, accompanied of course perfectly with the Wrights Bros Half Shell Gin!

It is surprising indeed to learn that gin matches superbly well with oysters.  Half Shell Gin is a unique spirit distilled with oyster shells, Amalfi lemon and kelp seaweed. It’s created by the expert team at The Ginstitute, London, who specialise in the enjoyment and appreciation of gin!

Everyone who attended left the talk at Platform 1 were completely bowled over by the pairing and loved hearing all about oysters from Ben.  So much so they all requested an evening to celebrate oysters and Chef Hannah Black is already planning future events, so keep an eye on Platform 1’s socials for announcements!

To find out more about the Wright Brothers, have a read of these excerpts from Platform 1’s latest blogs about the Wright Bros:

Part 1

With the world famous Brixham Fish Market only a hop, skip and a jump away on the ferry from Dartmouth, Platform 1 are able to take advantage of fish supplies that are truly fresh, straight from the trawlers.

Head Chef, Hannah Black, chose Wright Bros Ltd for a supplier as she says “Their quality of fish is the best I’ve seen and they have a passion and care for fish rather than just selling it.” She also adds “They go that extra mile when I need something.” Wright Bros Ltd supply all Platform 1’s shellfish such as oysters, scallops, mussels, lobsters as well as fresh fish for catch of the day which might include plaice, lemon sole or bream. We rely on them to select the best produce for us on a daily basis.
Originally growing and supplying seafood to some of London’s best chefs and high-end restaurants, the Wright Bros business has been developed under the watchful eye of Devon local, Les Daniels, to include their own wholesale team based in Brixham. This coastal team have all been in the fish game for years, and some through generations of family. They have a genuine commitment to what they do, and are up at 5am to cherry-pick the very best fish from the Brixham auction before proceeding to advise customers on their best options for catch of the day. The growing number of South West businesses they now supply is a testament to the smart choices they make as well as how great they are to deal with.

Part 2

Choosing a fish supplier is obviously a very critical decision for a seafood restaurant. Head Chef of Platform 1, Hannah Black, chose Wright Bros Ltd for a number of reasons. As well as the great quality of their seafood, she also felt that “they have a passion and care for fish rather than just selling it.”
Wright Bros Ltd feel strongly that “it is our responsibility to help preserve and enhance the health of our oceans and encourage responsible aquaculture, to ensure that future generations will continue to enjoy eating fish and seafood.” In fact, the founders Ben and Robin Wright (who are actually brothers-in-law) started off their own oyster business by leasing an old oyster farm on the Helford River and reviving it. They did this because they wanted to farm the way they wanted, which was sustainably and responsibly. This ethos has carried on throughout the development of their business which was founded upon the global supply of fish and seafood. The team are dedicated to making sure their seafood is responsibly sourced, ensuring buying policy supports the encouragement of sustainable wild capture fisheries. They are supporters of the Global Aquaculture Alliance and their Best Aquaculture Practice (BAP) certification programme.

So when Hannah received a text from Louis Fahey, Wright Bros Brixham’s Senior Sales Executive, asking her if he could come over for a chat to discuss becoming a supplier, she decided to give him a chance and hasn’t looked back since!

Back at the Dartmouth Food Festival

Elly Wentworth, Head Chef of the Angel restaurant, also got involved with the Dartmouth Food Festival and gave a demo in the Chefs tent on Sunday 24 October.

She had a lively hour with the audience eating out of her hand!  Elly cooked Roasted Hand Dived Scallop, with smoke taramasalata, saffron and orange butter.  The scallops used at the Angel are of the finest quality and supplied by Cooking scallops that are free dived on a single breath by Greenstraight Scallops, hand-picked with no air tanks, no by-catch and no by damage to the delicate sea bed.