Kish Fish, based in Howth, has announced it will be expanding significantly and increasing staffing levels following a €160,000 investment grant-aided under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.
The north Dublin seafood business is planning to increase the variety and volume of its ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products with an upgraded and more energy efficient production facility thanks to the investment.
'Local Economy'
"We work with an extensive list of trusted partners who supply the best quality fish and shellfish from around Ireland’s coastline and beyond," said Tadgh O’Meara, one of two brothers running the business.
"Kish Fish also hopes to increase staff numbers recruiting new employees at all levels including specialists, operatives and chefs bringing jobs to the local economy while playing its part in carrying on the long legacy and heritage of fishing in Howth.”
Family Business
Kish Fish, which got its name from the Kish Lighthouse, was founded by the O’Meara’s dad, Tadgh Snr and Danny Hughes in 1966 when they first began selling whole fish in the Dublin Fish-market. Brothers Tadgh, Bill and Damian took over the business in the 1990’s but sadly Bill passed away in 2022.
It opened its first retail shop in Bow St, Dublin, in 1989 and in 2007 a purpose-built facility was built in Coolock to meet growing demand. This was followed by a new factory shop in Coolock a year later.
Avoca Partnership
The business further expanded in 2016 when it acquired a smokehouse and a third retail shop on Howth’s west pier. A year later, in partnership with Avoca, it opened a seafood counter in Dunboyne.
As well as its four fish shops serving fresh seafood daily by a team of professional fishmongers, there is a production facility, the Baily & Kish smokehouse, an online shop, and the Baily Bites at Kish food truck, located on the West Pier in Howth.
Seafood Taskforce
The new project cost over €160,000 of which almost €70,000 was grant aided under the Brexit Blue Economy Enterprise Development Scheme recommended by the Seafood Taskforce established by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue and implemented by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).
The scheme is funded by the European Union under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.
'Hospitality Customers'
“The investment supported a combination of plant and equipment upgrading, staff upskilling and recruitment and internal construction changes," said O’Meara.
"It allows for production of higher volumes of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook food.
“The new production facility includes a seafood dicing machine which will be a gamechanger, allowing us produce a higher volume of value-added products, directly appealing to food services and hospitality customers.”
