How to Buy Fish from E. Ashton Fishmongers or Arrange Home Delivery

Updated

E. Ashton Fishmongers is a fishmonger, poulterer and game dealer based in Cardiff Central Market, trading since 1800. You can buy in person at its Cardiff Central Market counter, or call 02920 229201 to ask about home delivery. The same number is the published contact point for delivery enquiries, so it is the first place to try whether you are a household customer or a trade buyer.

Buying in person

The retail outlet is in Cardiff Central Market. The site describes Ashtons as one of the largest fish retail outlets in the United Kingdom, employing around 25 staff, and as "Wales largest independent fishmongers."

What that means in practice:

  • Counters carry a changing selection of fish chosen through the year, so what is available depends on the season and the day's stock.
  • Staff are described as highly skilled fishmongers who advise on what is at its best and which fish suits a particular occasion — useful if you are cooking for a specific dish rather than buying a familiar type.
  • The range is organised into categories on the site, including flat fish, general fish, kids' options, quick and easy, salmon and shellfish, which gives you a rough idea of what to ask for.

If you want something specific, calling ahead is the sensible step, since stock rotates with the seasons.

Home delivery

The site's COVID-19 update directs customers to call 02920 229201 for home delivery, with a link to read more. That is the only delivery instruction given for households, so treat the phone call as the way to check availability, area coverage and timing.

For trade customers, delivery is more clearly defined:

Detail What the site states
Who they deliver to Hotels, restaurants and caterers
Areas covered Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and surrounding areas
Bristol Twice-weekly deliveries
Vehicles Temperature-controlled fleet, to keep goods at optimum temperature

If you run a kitchen in one of those areas, the trade delivery route is the established part of the business — Ashtons supplies many of the major hotels and restaurants across Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and the surrounding area.

What to have ready when you call

  • Whether you are buying for a household or a business.
  • Your location, so they can confirm whether you fall inside a delivery area.
  • What you want and roughly how much — type of fish or shellfish, and quantity.
  • Your timing, especially for trade orders where twice-weekly Bristol runs may set the schedule.

Common sticking points

  • Delivery terms are not published in detail. The site gives a phone number rather than a form or a rate card, so area coverage, minimum order and timing all have to be confirmed by phone.
  • Stock varies. The range is described as selected through the year, so a fish you bought last month may not be on the counter today.
  • Two different customer types. Retail counter sales and trade supply run alongside each other; make clear which one you are when you get in touch so you are routed correctly.

Quick answer

Call 02920 229201 for home delivery or delivery questions. Visit the Cardiff Central Market counter to buy in person and get advice from the fishmongers. Trade customers in Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and surrounding areas — plus twice-weekly Bristol deliveries — are served by a temperature-controlled fleet.