Chef Ellis Barrie leads harbour cookery demos for fishers, Wales 2026

Key Points

• The first two demonstration cookery sessions will be held in Welsh harbors by Chef Ellis Barrie as part of the Nourished at Sea program.
• These events are slated to happen at Plas Heli, Pwllheli on October 6 and Amlwch Town Quay on October 7 between 10 am to 4 pm.
• Active and retired fishermen along with their families can take part in this event with healthcare, dentistry and other wellbeing services along with the cookery events.
• This four port event will be organized as a result of the collaboration of SeaFit, which is a collaborative project between the Fishermen’s Mission and the Seafarers Hospital Society.
• The organizers wish to come up with 12-15 easy to make recipes for meals in flasks, foods to be made using slow cooker and other recipes in place of snacks that are rich in sugar content.
• Short educational videos will be created on lunch boxes, beverages and meals for longer working days as well.
• This Nourished at Sea program is created by FoodSheducation Môn and the SeaFit project in association with Welsh Fishermen’s Association, supported by Welsh Government.

Wales (Wales Times) October 03, 2026 — Nourished at Sea, a new nutritional intervention project backed by the Welsh Fishermen’s Association and supported by the Welsh Government, launched its harbour roadshow this week with celebrated chef Ellis Barrie leading cookery demonstrations designed to help fishermen eat better while working at sea. – The initiative, reported by Nation.Cymru staff, seeks to address the practical barriers commercial fishers face in maintaining a healthy diet during long, irregular shifts aboard vessels with limited cooking and storage facilities.

Who is leading the cookery demonstrations and what will they cover?

Chef Ellis Barrie, now executive chef at Y Marram in Niwbwrch, will take cookery demonstrations to Welsh harbours as part of the project. As reported by Nation.Cymru staff, Mr Barrie grew up in Liverpool before moving to north Wales, where he co-founded The Marram Grass restaurant on Anglesey with his brother Liam, earning national recognition and appearing on television programmes including Great British Menu and Ready Steady Cook. Y Marram was named in The Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Local Restaurants in 2025.

Mr Barrie said: “Food choices at sea need to work in the real world. This project is about practical solutions that fishermen can actually use, not unrealistic advice or a conventional cookbook.” The demonstrations will focus on vessel-ready meals that can be prepared before leaving harbour or cooked using equipment appropriate to life aboard fishing vessels.

When and where will the harbour events take place?

The first events will take place at Plas Heli in Pwllheli on October 6 and Amlwch Town Quay on October 7, both from 10am to 4pm. These visits are the first two stops on a four-port roadshow organised through SeaFit, a joint initiative run by the Fishermen’s Mission and the Seafarers Hospital Society. Working and retired fishermen and their families are welcome, with health, dental and wellbeing services available alongside the cooking sessions.

What recipes and resources will be produced for fishermen?

Organisers plan to produce between 12 and 15 recipes and food ideas, including meals that can be carried in a flask, slow-cooker dishes and alternatives to sugary snacks. Short videos are also planned, covering packed lunches, drinks and food for long working days. According to the contract notice published by the Welsh Fishermen’s Association on Sell2Wales, the toolkit will be produced as a professionally designed A5 printed booklet and an accessible downloadable PDF, using clear and accessible language specifically designed for use within fishing environments.

The project should encourage high-protein and nutrient-dense food choices, sustainable energy levels, improved hydration and simple alternatives to highly processed foods, high-sugar snacks and heavily fried meals. The approach must be practical, accessible and appropriate for the Welsh fishing community.

How does SeaFit describe the challenges fishermen face with healthy eating?

SeaFit manager Carol Elliott said: “We have long heard from fishermen that time pressures and life at sea can make healthy eating difficult, something confirmed by a short survey we conducted last year.” Commercial fishing presents a unique working environment with long and irregular working hours, limited cooking and food storage facilities aboard vessels, fatigue and the practicalities of working at sea that can make maintaining a healthy diet difficult.

Existing research into eating habits within the fishing industry has identified an opportunity to provide fishermen with practical support to make healthier food choices. The purpose of Food for the Soul, the broader programme under which Nourished at Sea operates, is not to develop a conventional healthy-eating or cookbook programme but to develop practical nutritional solutions that recognise the realities of life aboard working fishing vessels.

What are the project objectives and expected outcomes?

The successful supplier will be required to deliver a pilot programme which identifies real-world barriers to healthy eating at sea; develops practical, vessel-ready nutritional solutions; engages directly with fishermen in Welsh fishing ports; creates accessible educational resources capable of being used beyond the funded project; supports preventative approaches to health issues including obesity, high cholesterol, fatigue and heart health; strengthens understanding of the relationship between diet, resilience and mental wellbeing; and creates a scalable pilot model capable of informing future delivery across Wales.

Through delivery of the contract, WFA-CPC aims to improve awareness of healthier food choices amongst Welsh fishermen; provide realistic alternatives to high-sugar and highly processed foods; improve understanding of hydration and sustained energy; encourage preventative action in relation to obesity, cardiovascular health and other diet-related health risks; strengthen understanding of the relationship between nutrition and mental resilience; increase engagement with wider health and wellbeing messages; and establish an evidence-led model capable of being expanded across Wales in the future.

Background of the particular development

The Nourished at Sea project is a programme from FoodSheducation Môn, a community interest company on Ynys Môn, being developed with SeaFit and the Welsh Fishermen’s Association, with Welsh Government support. The project forms part of the wider WFA-CPC Stronger at Sea approach and seeks to improve nutritional awareness while strengthening understanding of the relationship between diet, physical health, mental wellbeing, resilience and performance at sea.

The available contract value for the Food for the Soul Nutritional Intervention Pilot is £30,000 to £48,000 including VAT and all other costs and expenditure. The project is being delivered through the Welsh Marine and Fisheries Scheme, with contract commencement on October 1 and project completion scheduled for March 31, 2027.

Prediction: How this development can affect Welsh fishermen

If the Nourished at Sea project succeeds in delivering practical, vessel-ready recipes and accessible educational resources, Welsh fishermen could see measurable improvements in daily nutrition, sustained energy levels and hydration during long shifts at sea. By focusing on high-protein, nutrient-dense meals and alternatives to sugary snacks, the initiative may help reduce diet-related health risks such as obesity, high cholesterol and fatigue that are prevalent in the fishing community.

The availability of short educational videos and a downloadable toolkit means the resources can remain accessible after the harbour visits, potentially reaching fishermen who cannot attend the live demonstrations. Organisers hope to extend the project to more fishing communities across Wales, which could create a scalable model for nutritional intervention in other maritime occupations.