Meet the family who have been selling fish in Swansea for six generations

In 1856, an enterprising fishmonger began plying their trade on the streets of Swansea. Fast forward to 2019 and their great, great grandson is keeping the family tradition alive inside Wales’ largest indoor market.

Much has changed for Coakley-Greene Fishmongers in the intervening 163 years, as well as for the city itself. For a start, the entire street in which the original shop once stood was destroyed by the Nazis during the Second World War, which forever changed the face of the city by the sea.

But the more things change, the more they stay the same, and one constant from the Victorian age is the fish itself - healthy, tasty, and still a popular favourite along the Welsh coast. In fact, Swansea's number one dish from the reign of Queen Victoria is still top of the menu for many people today.

“Historically, hake was the main fish in Swansea,” says Francis Coakley-Greene, the former proprietor who has since handed over the reins to his son Adrian.

“So much of it landed, that in the 1930s we used to send it to other parts of the UK.”

At the age of 97-years-young, Francis can still be found making the occasional appearance behind the counter, while Adrian is in charge of the day-to-day running alongside the next generation to follow in his footsteps, daughter Annabel.

Coakley-Greene Fishmongers on Goat Street, Swansea.

TO BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

The fishmongers originally stood on 1 Goat Street, opposite the fabled Ben Evans department store in the heart of the city. Until the Luftwaffe levelled it, that is, along with many other long-standing buildings which were damaged beyond repair during the ‘Three Nights’ Blitz’ of 1941.

They relocated to Swansea’s temporary market soon after, before settling in the new Swansea Market in 1961. One of the more iconic buildings to be created during the regeneration of the city centre, it was a move which saw them upping their game when it came to presentation.

“We realised we had to get much more upmarket,” says Francis of their new premises. The most noticeable change was the introduction of chipped ice, with which to instil confidence in their customers, as well as special lighting to show off the produce.

Another big change looming on the horizon was the range of fish that they stocked.

“With so many people travelling abroad, they were becoming more adventurous in their taste," he explains.

"They were flying out to Spain in particular, and trying paella, and saying ‘I must ask my fishmonger about it.’”

Hake and caviar at Coakley-Greene Fishmongers in Swansea.

Which is why visitors today will see a lot more than just the Swansea staple of hake on display.

During my visit I see rows and rows of prawns, squid and red snapper from the Far East, alongside caviar from European waters. It's also the height of game season, and some of the shell fish have given way to wild grouse, boar, rabbit, hare, partridge, duck and quail.

The fresh food arrives at the market daily at 4am, with Adrian’s day beginning under the cover of darkness at 5.30am. After ensuring everything is ready, including crushing the ice and lighting the stock, the doors are thrown open to the public at 9am.

As I stand there watching on, it quickly becomes apparent just how important their expertise is to the constant stream of customers who chat and ask for advice before purchasing. This isn’t the kind of fast service you get in a supermarket – these are highly skilled and knowledgable fishmongers with a genuine love for their job.

All of which is extra important in this day and age, where the fish-buying public are also more aware of what is on offer, as Francis explains:

“Years ago, it was only the well-off people who could afford to buy the wild salmon from our local river. Now it’s available to the majority. Farmed fish plays a very important part in our industry today. Farm salmon in particular from Scotland is in great demand.”

While the opposite is true of other types of fish, like the good old Swansea hake: “Years ago it was a poor man’s meat. Now it’s a luxury food.”

What the fish-eating trends of the future will be is anyone's guess, but one thing is almost certain - as long as the people of south Wales are eating fish, there’ll be a member of the Coakley-Greene family on-hand to serve them the best seafood in the area with a smile.

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For more on Coakley-Greene Fishmongers visit Swansea Market.

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