Cementing Partnerships – The QP and Rammi Frozen at Sea Fish
Henry Colbeck has been a member of the Q Partnership Group (QP) since 1986, and the working relationship between the QP and its suppliers often spans decades. The strongest links are strengthened further by investments made by both parties towards creating and cementing personal relationships, which in turn benefit our customers.
Opportunities…
As opportunities to travel and meet face to face have been difficult in recent times, it was exciting that members from the QP (Henry Colbeck, Friars Pride & VA Whitley) had the opportunity to visit Iceland in September to meet our key Frozen at Sea Fish partner, Rammi.
Callum Bellshaw, our FAS Fish (Frozen at Sea Fish) Buyer said: “We went with two main objectives; 1) To have discussions about market conditions and 2) To benefit from an educational trip onboard Rammi’s super-trawler the Solberg, to see exactly what happens, first-hand, whilst at sea!”
Boarding the vessel…
The QP team boarded the vessel at Akureyri, in northern Iceland, and sailed through to Siglufjörður where Rammi is based and where the FAS Fish (Frozen at Sea Fish) is unloaded. Onboard the Solberg, the team had time to meet the Captain and the crew to learn more about the processes on the vessel, as well as learning about the high-tech systems they use to optimise their catch.
Callum said: “The QP have partnered together with Rammi for many years, and we have a strong working relationship. Rammi’s Marketing Director Bjorn Valdimarsson works closely with us throughout our supply journey. It was great to catch up with him again in person and to share our common perspectives.
From a supply chain point of view, we have consistently received a continuous flow of fish across Pinbone In (PBI) and Skinless Boneless (SLBL) Cod and Haddock and we were assured that all being equal with the catch this will remain the case.
Frozen at Sea Fish…
Icelandic fish is the primary source of FAS Fish (Frozen at Sea Fish) for our customers, and it is sustainably caught in line with the MSC accreditations. Rammi’s prominent selling point has always been the consistency and quality of the fish it catches. With all fish being fully processed within 2 hours, and meticulous attention to detail applied throughout all processing stages, it is clear why all Rammi fish is of the highest quality available.”
After the journey, discussions took place at Rammi’s head office regarding fish supply and market conditions. Our team highlighted the current challenges facing our customers and the industry and Rammi understood that and took it on board. It was agreed that a strong and continuous partnership will generate the best mechanism to help alleviate current and future pinch points.
Our Managing Director Paul Holliday said: The trip gave us the opportunity to meet more of the team at Rammi, to build up further contacts across departments, and to discuss the wider marketplace. We were invited to spend a night sailing on the vessel, Solberg, where we learnt more about how our high-quality FAS Fish (Frozen at Sea Fish) is physically processed. We also had the chance to present the current situation and trading conditions in our own marketplace, in a very appropriate setting, ensuring Rammi is aware of the present difficulties faced by our Customers and the UK Fish & Chip Industry.
Market conditions…
Turbulent market conditions and pricing, along with the uncertainty of what is to come of the situation regarding Russia and Ukraine, were top of the agenda. We also discussed the changes on quotas in both Icelandic and Barents Sea waters. We asked that a more equal distribution across sizes and configurations to supply our industry could be supported but acknowledged there can be no guarantees due to the weight and sizes of the species caught.”
The trip was a great success, and the relationship and the supply chain links remain strong. We will continue to trade with an exclusivity agreement between Rammi and the QP, to provide top quality and consistent FAS Fish (Frozen at Sea Fish) for our marketplace.
Many thanks to Bjorn and the Rammi team for their generous hospitality and we look forward to hosting them at our What’s Cooking? Exhibition in Harrogate on Sunday March 26th 2023 – visit the Rammi stand and meet the team – they’d love to answer your questions.