THE couple behind The Fresh Fish Shop in Dunfermline, John and Hazel Stephen, opened their newest fish shop in Abbeyview last week. 

It's the businesses fifth store to open this year with shops already in Grangemouth, Falkirk, Bathgate and Alloa. 

Both John and Hazel hail from Peterhead and their dads and grandads were fishermen.

John was at sea for 15 years, the last five as skipper of his own trawler.

He said: “Right from the moment we opened the doors we have had a steady stream of customers and enjoyed good early sales.

“We have opened three shops this year because what we are providing is fresh produce and people seem to love that.

 "Our massive advantage here is that my cousin has two factories, one in Peterhead and one in Fraserburgh.

"We receive the fresh fish from him on a daily basis and have discovered there is a high demand for the quality and choice which we can supply.

"The fish on Peterhead market today is on our counters tomorrow, that’s how fresh it is."

The couple started in Grangemouth and John recalled: “We went into that shop hoping and praying to maintain what was being done, we doubled it in the first year and couldn’t believe it.”

John and Hazel have since added to their shops and, with some supermarkets like Tesco recently axing many of their fresh fish counters, he sees a way back for the smaller operators.

Although it was never his intention to take the fight to the big players, John claimed the shift in the market is something local fishmongers – and other minnows – can capitalise on.

“That was never the plan, but it is now,” he said. “The supermarkets came in and they killed the fishmongers, as they did a lot of the small shops, and now they’re going.

“We’re just going for it and filling that void.”

The shop is located at 32 Duncan Crescent, Abbeyview, and their website is www.thefreshfishplace.co.uk.