Frequently Asked Questions

Good question. It’s never easy sourcing quality fish and seafood from across the globe but it is in our DNA!

Sykes Seafood was established in 1862 by trading in wet fish and Dutch shrimp. Since then we have perfected where we source from and the species of the product we sell. Today, with our own factory facilities, we specialise in supplying a wide range of high-quality fish and seafood to a variety of market sectors. If you want to read more about our heritage or where we source from please refer to our About Us page.

We source from all over the world. Sykes Seafood is over 150 years old, so we have a huge amount of experience and knowledge in sourcing the best quality, sustainable fish from around the world. Where possible, we source closer to home but we only ever source from origins where quality and sustainability are at the forefront of the supply chain.

We sell both. This is clearly marked on the product description pages on the website. The product that has already been cooked can be thawed and served. It could not be simpler. All of our cooked products are either cooked on vessels at sea immediately after the catch or in our own state-of-the-art factories which are governed to the highest food safety accreditations.

Most of the products we sell are pre-prepared and ready to use. The fish is sold in fillets or portions, with either the skin-on or off and the shellfish either in their shell, or with the shell removed. Please read the product description to understand how the fish needs to be prepared. In most cases the preparation, if required, is much easier than you think.

Glaze is a protective coating of ice on the frozen product, used to prevent dehydration and preserve the aesthetics of the product. Without some level of glaze, products would have become freezer burnt when stored. Once defrosted, the glaze falls away from the product, so when defrosting please make sure the fish placed in a plastic container or plate in your fridge to prevent spills.

Our cardboard boxes and space fillers are 100% widely recycled via kerbside collections.

The insulated liner is reusable, as per the details in your box. We chose this instead of the equivalent which was approximately 55mm of Polystyrene. Polystyrene is classed as a ‘problem plastic’ and difficult to recycle. By using the silver bags, we are contributing to the elimination of difficult-to-recycle plastic.

The insulated liner can be reused, as per the insert in your parcel. You can store frozen food from the supermarket in this liner for the journey home.

To ensure your order is delivered in a frozen state, we include dry ice packs in your box. Through product testing, we decided this was the best form of freezer-pack to ensure the products remains frozen from leaving our coldstore factory to arriving at your door.

Dry ice is perfectly safe to use, but must be handled carefully. Wear protective gloves when handling, and avoid prolonged contact. An oven mitt or towel will also work. To dispose of the dry ice, leave in a well ventilated room at room temperature, until the dry ice has completely sublimated.

Even with the inclusion of dry ice packs, we cannot guarantee that your product will arrive 100% frozen. If your products have started to defrost, don’t worry. You are safe to refreeze it. The dry ice ensures that it remains below 8°C, therefore it’s fine to put it straight back in the freezer.

We suggest you defrost in a refrigerator overnight, or for a minimum of 8-10 hours.

Some of our products can be cooked from frozen. Keep an eye out for the recipes.

Vacuum packaged fish results in a tasty and superior product when it is prepared, we believe it is the best way to store and keep frozen fish.

Vacuum packaging keeps the fish from drying out by preventing water loss. Vacuum packaging is used because it allows for an extended shelf life in the freezer by reducing odours and texture changes which may result in spoilage. This may mean that when you defrost your fish in these packs, you may notice a slight smell when opening. Don’t worry, this is normal. Leave the pack open for 5 minutes. Any odour present will quickly disappear.

We do. Our minimum order value is £30, excluding any postage charges.

We deliver our frozen fish and seafood throughout the UK, with a few exceptions.

Unfortunately, we are currently unable to deliver orders to Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly, Isle of Wight, all Scottish Islands, Highlands and North of Falkirk.

We offer FREE next day day delivery on all orders over £50 and £3.50 for orders under £50 placed before 1pm.   For orders placed after 1pm your order will be dispatched on the next working day for overnight delivery.

If you would like a Saturday delivery these are charged at £10 and orders must be placed by 1pm on Friday.

For more information visit our delivery page.

Your order will be delivered by one of our selected delivery partners. All deliveries are shipped from us on overnight services to ensure that the product maintains its frozen state. You will have the option to leave the order in a safe place if you are not at home. Please ensure the box is not left out for more than 4 hours of the original delivery time. If there is any issue with your delivery please get in contact with us as quickly as possible.

There’s nothing worse than missing a delivery, so we have given all customers the choice of when to have their order delivered.  At the checkout, you will need to select a chosen delivery day.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure your delivery arrives on your nominated day, in rare circumstances our delivery partner may not make it to you in time.    If your delivery is not made on the day you have requested, please get in contact with us and we will put things right.  Our delivery system is guaranteed to keep your fish and seafood order nice and chilly for up to 30 hours after it’s left our warehouse.

That’s fine. When placing your order, at the checkout, leave a note in the ‘Notes’ instructions box telling us where you would like your parcel to be left.

We are able to deliver to work addresses, if that’s easier.

Before 1pm on the day before your delivery is due, we can absolutely juggle things about to change the delivery date, but if it’s after 1pm, we won’t be able to, unfortunately.   However should you have a specific requirement please contact us and we will try to help.