British shellfish is up there with the best in the world, so make the most of our indigenous mussels, crab, clams and prawns, and get using them in the kitchen Earlier this year, I went on a beach holiday with my family near Aldeburgh, in Suffolk. Well, I say “beach holiday”, but this was back in February, when it bitterly cold and often overcast outside, and food was our only remedy against the chill. Even so, we ended up having a ball, thanks in no small part to several trips to the famous fish and chip shop in Aldeburgh and our little ones’ brave attempts to sail their model boats in the local fish pond. The rest of the time we stayed indoors, cooked fish and ate. For me, a proud son of the Med, the British weather does wonders for the appetite and is the greatest attraction of a seaside holiday on these isles. It can get hot here and there over summer, of course, but it’s rarely too hot to cook and eat. On beach holidays in Italy, Greece or North Africa, often even the thought of eating anything more than a salad or slice of watermelon during the day can feel like hard work, but the British equivalent, with its pebble beaches, coastal breezes and noisy seagulls, makes me want to seek out and make the most of the catch of the day. Continue reading...