MARINE scientist Paul Ridout has brought his first retail venture to Haslemere – a shop selling fresh fish. The West Street shop, which opened for business last Friday, sells fish from fully sustainable sources. Although The Good Fish Shop is Paul's first retail business, manager John Edwards is well known to many customers and used to be fishmonger in Haslemere five or six years ago. The business is a family venture, with Paul's wife Sarah responsible for the modern open design and step-daughter Louise Elliot designing the graphics. Paul, 58, who lived in Church Lane, Haslemere, knows there are discerning customers in the town eager to buy fresh produce and market research confirmed there was a business opportunity. He said: "I am passionate about cooking and eating fish and I wanted to get involved in the business aspect, so when this prime location became available I was enthusiastic to give it a go." Paul has spent a lot of time sourcing products and stock comes from both large, wholesale fish suppliers such as Billingsgate and from local sources. The shop also sells pates, olive oil, herbs and wild Alaskan smoked salmons, which are from German company Sturk, stocked for the first time in the UK.
