Catch at the Old Fish Market, Weymouth
Set amidst the colour and energy of Weymouth’s working quayside, Catch at the Old Fish Market offers an authentic sea-to-plate dining experience serving fish and shellfish with unequivocal local provenance and landed just a few feet from the restaurant kitchen.
Catch opened in June 2021 with upcoming chef Mike Naidoo leading the kitchen. Mike was formerly with Jason Atherton at Pollen Street Social and has moved to Dorset to take on his first Head Chef role with his partner Tija Klincov, who is the restaurant’s pastry chef.
Mike’s elegant, ingredient-led dishes celebrate the freshest sustainable seafood. Menus change regularly to reflect what the boats have brought in, and you may find scallop ceviche; lobster thermidor croquettes; roast brill roast salsify and Exmoor caviar; skate wing; pork belly seaweed and sage; sea bass with fennel almonds and crab potatoes.
With strong ties to the fishing community, not only can the staff tell you when and where your fish was caught, but usually on which boat, and by whom. The waters of the Dorset coast are home to over 40 fish and shellfish species, from Portland crab and lobster to line-caught sea bass and supplied to the restaurant by Weymouth’s small, inshore fishing fleet which include two boats owned by the business.
You’ll also find local game dishes for example: venison, parsnip, girolles, red cabbage and blackberries. Other ingredients are sourced from local growers and producers including with a micro bakery based a road away from the restaurant and Craigs Farm, a free-range dairy which overlooks Weymouth Bay.
Catch is also about its setting. The landmark Grade II listed Old Fish Market was built in 1855 using local Portland stone. The building has been painstakingly restored by local craftspeople. The striking restaurant has been carved out on the first floor with views over the harbour and light that floods in through the windows of the clerestory roof.
The team have curated an engaging wine list containing exceptional local wines from the Dorset area including Langham Wine Estate, Furleigh Estate and Bride Valley Vineyard amongst others. The list not only includes gems from local producers but exciting wines from smaller European wineries. Many are available by the glass to encourage diners to experiment throughout their meal. The list will change and evolve throughout the year to keep it as fresh and seasonal as the menu.
Weyfish
Catch is part of a group of businesses which include Weyfish, Weymouth’s traditional harbourside fishmonger, also based in the historic Old Fish Market (in fact, diners pass through the fishmongers on their way to the tables).The majority of their fish is sourced hyper-locally and sustainably with the majority of the town’s fleet using lines, nets, and pots only – producing very little in the way of by-catch or discards. Weyfish went on to spawn an e-commerce platform for national home deliveries, and has its own fish van that sells fresh fish in Dorchester twice weekly. Hatch on the Harbour is located in a downstairs corner of the Fish Market and serves fresh seafood-on-the-go. Specialising in street food dishes whose changing menu can include fish tacos, crispy grilled squid and BBQ lobster which can all to be enjoyed on the quayside.
About Mike Naidoo
The kitchen team at Catch are led by Chef Mike Naidoo who has moved to Dorset to take up his first Head Chef role at the restaurant. Formerly at Jason Atherton’s Michelin starred Pollen Street Social and a number of years career across number of other well-known restaurants Purefoy Arms at Preston Candover and The Chesil Rectory in Winchester. Mike grew up just across the border in the New Forest and after studying physiotherapy he was lured into kitchens of local restaurants and decided to follow a career in hospitality.
He says of Catch: “Here, the supply chain is right on our doorstep: the Weymouth fleet; the most amazing growers and micro-producers. People who really care about quality. Our menu shifts and changes throughout the calendar – just as it should do.”
