Meet the Team
There are usually five full-time members of staff operating at our Chamber Street factory, Mark, Ernie, Frank, Billy and Steve and behind the scenes another two ensure that the operation of Barneys goes smoothly. Of course, a whole range of suppliers ensure that Barneys gets the products that its customers deserve, both fresh and at a reasonable price. Whilst many are still in bed at 4am, the Barneys team are selecting and preparing another round of top quality Jellied Eels, Shellfish and Fish, 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Between us we have over 80 years experience of working in the seafood business.
We strive to offer the best service we can to all our customers whether you are a trader buying dozens of
items or someone who pops in for a pack of mussels. If you would like to know some more about the
hard-working team at Barneys then read on.
Mark
“I joined the businesses in 1983, I’m now the manager director of Barneys, we are a small business so I do
what ever needs to be done. I spend time each day talking to customers and suppliers, looking for new
lines and trying to give the best deal possible to our loyal customers. I’m responsible for all aspects of
the business; one day I might be in a meeting with the bank manager the next I might be unloading
several lorries.”
“My favourite fish is skate cooked in black butter but I also love scallops and tiger prawns.”
“My favourite fishy joke is … What did the boy octopus say to the girl octopus?”“I wanna hold you hand, hand,
hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand!”
Billy
“I’ve worked at Barneys for just over 4 years. My job is to prepare and cook eels.Depending on
what else needs to be done I also cook crabs, winkles and scampi, and generally help
with whatever needs to be done.”
“My favourite fish is freshly cooked mussels and of course our own jellied eels.”
“My favourite fishy joke is … What do you call a fish that writes controversial novels?” “Salmon Rushdie!”
Ginger
“My main job is the prepare eels to be cooked. I’ve been at Barneys for 12 years, although I’ve been
involved in the fish trade for more than 35 years. As a fully qualified fish monger I am able to prepare
all kinds of fish and shellfish. Barneys is a good place to work, we are a team, in a small business it has
to be like that.”
“My favourite fish is sea bream. I also love scallops, cooked very simply with some olive oil,
lemon and a little chilli. To be honest I like all fish.”
“My favourite fishy joke is … Where do shellfish go to borrow money?” “The prawn broker!”
Frank
“Until recently I was the ‘new boy’, I’ve been at Barneys for 7 years. I have lots of contact with our
customers, taking and preparing orders, keeping on top of our stock, visiting the fish market, organising
maintenance and cleaning regimes and generally supporting the smooth running of the business in
any way I can.”
“My favourite fish is just cooked warm scampi, I also like all types of prawns.”
“My favourite fishy joke is …”1st kipper: “Smoking's bad for you.”2nd kipper: “It's OK, I've been cured.”
Steve
“I used to work at Barneys during the summer holidays in the 1970s when I was a student. The business
was very different then; we only sold about 10 different items, now we stock about 100. My job now is
to ensure we do everything we need to do to run a safe and healthy business and also to develop a
more modern approach to marketing – thus the website!”
“My favourite fish is haddock fillet, covered in batter, fried in a nutty oil and served with ‘proper’
chips and mushy peas. I also enjoy smoked haddock with mash potatoes and a nice fresh
dressed crab.”
“My favourite fishy joke is … What do you call a fish with no eyes?” “Fsh!”
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Harry
"I have now been at Barneys for about a year, I do most jobs in the factory and have learnt loads of
new skills. I can do most things that need to be done - I cook crabs, lobsters, mussels and winkles. I serve
customers, unload lorries and do lots of cleaning. As a small child I spent some time at the factory and
in the fish market - see the cute photo!"
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"My favourite fish is anything breaded or battered, including squid, prawns, fishcakes etc"
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"My favourite fishy joke is .... Why did the plaice go to the doctor? - Because he was feeling a bit flat!"
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