Flatfish

What Flatfish does

Flatfish Ltd. is a Grimsby-based seafood processor and B2B supplier founded in 1979, operating from a main production facility on Stirling Street and two traditional curing houses on the Grimsby Fish Docks (one a Grade II Listed Building). The company supplies major UK retailers and foodservice operators with fresh and frozen fish, traditionally smoked fish carrying Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, and a growing range of added-value prepared products such as halibut with caper, lemon and parsley butter and smoked haddock rarebit. Sourcing is sustained 365 days a year through a UK, Iceland and Norway supply base, with the Nissui Corporation affiliation (since 2019) extending access to global suppliers, supply chains and international markets.

The company's technology base is physical processing rather than software: a newly installed Marel hand-filleting line, a purpose-built contamination-free added-value room, and a heritage smokehouse with over a century of curing tradition in Grimsby. The commercial model is B2B direct sales (enterprise field motion) into UK retail chains and foodservice channels, complemented by own-brand product launches and forthcoming direct-to-consumer e-commerce (a "Shop" tile marked COMING SOON on the company website). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; revenue is generated through supply agreements rather than listed SKUs or licence models.

Flatfish is family-owned and remains led by three Stansfield family directors (CEO Steve Stansfield, Business Development & Innovations Director Richard Stansfield, and Procurement & Operations Director Reece Stansfield). It maintains an extensive sustainability and quality certification stack (MSC, ASC, BAP, Global GAP, Seafish, SEDEX, ISO 9001, BRC, PGI) and is targeting Net-Zero by 2030 via its Bryt Energy renewable supply partnership. The company has 51-100 employees and is a subsidiary within the Nissui Corporation group, which is described as the second-largest seafood company worldwide.

Name

Flatfish

Legal name

Flatfish Ltd.

Website

https://flatfish-ltd.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Flatfish Ltd. is a Grimsby-based, family-owned seafood processor that supplies major UK retailers and foodservice operators with fresh and frozen fish, PGI traditionally smoked fish, and added-value prepared fish products, operating as part of the Nissui Corporation group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Processing

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Fresh & Frozen Seafood Fillets (Portioned, Skinless/Boneless) (AFANALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Smoked, Cured & Salted Seafood (Lox, Kippers, Bacalao) (AFANADAF), Value-Added Seafood Packaging (MAP/Vacuum, Portion Packs, Private Label) (AFANADAM)

Keywords

• Seafood processing
• Fish distribution
• Smoked fish
• Sustainable seafood
• Added value fish

Headquarters

HQ city

Grimsby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Fresh and Frozen Fish Processing: Processing of fresh and frozen fish for major UK retailers through the main production facility. Core business operation supplying fresh fish counters.
2. Traditional Smoked Fish: Production of traditionally smoked fish (dyed and undyed) from curing houses for major retailers. Includes PGI status smoked products.
3. Added Value Fish Products: Premium prepared fish products with sauces, herbs, and accompaniments launched in 2021. Includes award-winning lines like smoked haddock rarebit and halibut with butter sauces.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Flatfish is a UK-based seafood processing and manufacturing company that supplies sustainably sourced fresh, frozen, traditionally smoked, and added-value fish products to major UK retailers and foodservice operators. Operating from its main Grimsby production facility and two heritage curing houses on the Fish Docks, the company sources from the UK, Iceland, and Norway and provides fully traceable, certified seafood year-round.

Product overview

Flatfish is a seafood processing and distribution company operating from Grimsby, UK. Founded in 1979, the company supplies UK retailers and foodservice with sustainably sourced fish products year-round. The product portfolio consists of three main categories: (1) Fresh and Frozen Fish - core supply of whole fish products from global partners; (2) Added Value Fish Products - premium prepared fish dishes like the award-winning halibut with caper, lemon, and parsley butter and smoked haddock rarebit, created in a dedicated contamination-free processing room; (3) Traditionally Smoked Fish - products cured in heritage smokehouses on Grimsby's Fish Docks with over 100 years of tradition. The company operates one main production facility on Stirling Street and two traditional curing houses on the Fish Docks, and is part of the Nissui Corporation organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh and Frozen Fish Core supply of fresh and frozen fish products, sustainably sourced from global partners in the UK, Iceland, and Norway, supplied to major UK retailers and foodservice operators 365 days a year.
• Traditionally Smoked Fish Traditional smoked fish products (dyed and undyed) produced in two heritage curing houses on Grimsby's Fish Docks for major UK retailers, including PGI-status smoked haddock.
• Added Value Fish Products Premium prepared fish products with added herbs, sauces, and accompaniments (such as halibut with caper, lemon, and parsley butter, and smoked haddock rarebit) manufactured in a purpose-built, contamination-free added value room for major UK retailers.
• Own-Brand Fish Products Own-label fish product range developed and supplied to retail customers as the company expanded its presence supplying UK retailers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Partnership with Bryt Energy expected to save 266 tonnes CO2 equivalent
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Nissui CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Joined one of the world's largest producers and distributors of seafood in 2019. Nissui Corporation (formerly Nippon Suisan Kaisha Ltd.) brought new opportunities including access to global partners, suppliers, supply chains, and international markets.
• Bryt EnergymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZero-carbon, 100% renewable energy supply partnership supporting Flatfish's sustainability journey and goal of Net-Zero by 2030. Expected to save 266 tonnes CO2 annually.
• Sunflowers Children's Action GroupminorOthersLocal charity partnership supporting families with children suffering from life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses. Flatfish aims to raise £20,000 for the charity.
• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MSC for certified sustainable seafood sourcing, maintaining marine ecosystems and safeguarding fish populations.
• Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for farmed responsibly sourced seafood through ASC certification.
• Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBAP certification partnership for aquaculture best practices.
• Global GAPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal GAP certification partnership for farm and aquaculture best practices.
• SeafishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with The Authority on Seafood for industry standards and sustainable fishing practices.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Maruha Nichiro: One of the world's largest seafood companies, with UK retail presence (including the Princes Group). A direct competitor in UK seafood supply and a strategic peer to Flatfish's parent Nissui, sharing the global seafood processor profile.
• Thai Union Group: Global seafood processor and owner of major retail brands including Chicken of the Sea and John West. Comparable at the buyer/customer level for major UK grocers and at the added-value processed-seafood category level.
• Birds Eye (Nomad Foods): Frozen seafood and broader frozen-food brand within Nomad Foods, a pan-European packaged-foods group. Overlaps with Flatfish on frozen seafood SKUs and retailer relationships, but at much larger scale and brand investment.
• Princes Group (Mitsubishi-owned): UK-headquartered food and drink group with seafood, prepared meals, and private-label offerings to major UK retailers. A broad-incumbent peer given overlapping private-label B2B seafood supply to British grocers.

Direct peers

• Icelandic Group (Iceland Seafood International): Vertically integrated Icelandic seafood processor sourcing from North Atlantic fisheries and supplying value-added seafood globally, including UK retail. Comparable given shared North Atlantic sourcing footprint and added-value processing model.
• Young's Seafood: Largest UK branded seafood processor supplying major UK grocery retailers and foodservice with fresh, frozen, and added-value fish products. Closest direct comparable given overlapping B2B channels, product mix, and customer base in British retail.
• Clearwater Seafoods: North American shellfish and seafood processor with strong sustainability certifications and premium retail/foodservice positioning. Comparable on certified-sustainable procurement moats and value-added processing for retail.
• Seachill: UK-based seafood processor and supplier to major retailers and foodservice operators, with a strong frozen and prepared seafood portfolio. Operates from Grimsby-adjacent cold-chain infrastructure, making it a geographic and channel peer.
• Highliner Foods: North American value-added frozen seafood supplier focused on retail private label and foodservice. Closely comparable given its private-label retailer relationships, added-value processing, and emphasis on sustainable sourcing.
• The Saucy Fish Co. UK seafood company focused on added-value fish portions with sauces and accompaniments for retail and foodservice. Closely aligned with Flatfish's higher-margin added-value strategy and Q Award-winning product positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/flatfishltd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/flatfish-ltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/flatfish-ltd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flatfish-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/flatfish-ltd

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Flatfish