Who we are
Sykes Seafood has over 160 years of experience providing a wide range of high-quality frozen fish and seafood to our customers. Today, we specialise in supplying high-quality frozen seafood to various market sectors, including Foodservice, Wholesale, Retail and Manufacturers. From sustainability to sourcing, our dedicated team boasts advanced knowledge across every industry area, resulting in guaranteed first-class products and services every time.
We are incredibly proud to be one of the UK’s leading independent frozen seafood suppliers; in every instance, we aim to provide an unrivalled service, from catch to customer. But, to understand how we have earned this accolade, it is essential to share our remarkable journey, spanning the seven seas for nearly two centuries.
What we do
We sell over 600 products supplied across 110 species, specialising in warm water and coldwater prawns. Our unique company structure utilises a vertical supply chain, sourcing primary raw material from all over the world for processing and packing in our UK factory.
We source our products globally from trusted suppliers, despatching mixed and full pallets from our Manchester-based coldstore, where we have our own dedicated team of warehouse operatives which ensures excellent depth of range, product availability, strong commercials and a consistent supply all year round.
From catch to the customer, all of our products are world-class, and we only ever offer the finest products, delivering you flavour to savour. We are exceptionally proud to be a local service with a global reach, working with only the best, most credible and sustainable primary suppliers all over the world.
History
In 1862, our business was founded by Joseph Sykes, trading from Old Smithfield Market in Manchester. Although the availability of fresh seafood in Manchester seems normal today, in the 1860s fresh seafood was only obtainable at seaside ports.
However, with the development of Britain’s rail network and the speed of international transport allowing vast quantities of ice to be transferred from Canada, Sykes began purchasing ice to store fresh fish in Manchester, delivering by horse and cart well into the 20th Century.
In the mid-1970s we relocated to New Smithfield Market to continue trading and later, in the mid-1980s, began supplying frozen seafood, delivering full and mixed pallets up and down the UK. With this new venture, we also began to pack our own, frozen, coldwater prawns in the UK which was followed by extending the facility in 2014 to allow us to cook and process warm water prawns. This processing site alone now produces 350 tons of seafood products a week.
Foodservice
Sykes has a long history of supplying businesses and institutions in the UK with our quality products. Our service stretches from restaurants and caterers to hospitals and care homes. We have a wide range of products that are perfectly designed for the food service industry.
Our world-leading facilities and supply chain operation allow us to meet growing demand and deliver unparalleled service. If you would like to find out more about what we offer you can visit our products page or contact us.
Manufacturers
Having a UK factory means that we can are able to supply UK manufacturers with products with a one-week lead time, compared to the several months that it takes from packed-at-source factories.
We can also switch-on bespoke prawn lines for the UK manufacturing base within just a few weeks, so please contact us for more information on these options.
Retail
While you probably won’t recognise the Sykes brand in supermarket fridges and freezers, our retail brands Arctic Royal and Clearseas service some of the biggest retailers in the UK.
Our delicious premium seafood is processed and packaged at our industry-leading facility in Sefton into Sykes brands or can also be packed into retailers’ own brands.
Our Group
Klaas Puul B.V.
For decades, Klaas Puul B.V. has been one of the leading producers of fresh fish products in Europe.
From the catch to delivery to the customer, Klaas Puul manages the entire production and processing procedure. Thanks to their high-quality production system and authentic craftsmanship, they offer the very highest quality in seafood, crayfish and natural prawns and shrimps with reduced lead time, thanks to their numerous strategically placed locations.
Ruskim Seafoods
Ruskim Seafood Ltd was established in 1982 and started out much like Sykes as a family-run seafood company. They specialise in the Asian and Oriental sectors which made them the go-to business for a large number of wholesalers, restaurants and takeaways. Their strong core values permeate through to every area of their business and are central to everything they do.
Ruskim is one of the largest independent importers of prawns in the UK & Europe and due to Ruskim’s success, their product portfolio has gone from strength to strength. Ruskim offers an expansive range of frozen seafood as well as meat, poultry, dry goods and vegetables.
Our Brands
Sykes Seafood
We produce a range of retail and foodservice products in our Sykes Seafood branded packaging. With over a century of experience and industry leading manufacturing facilities, Sykes is a brand that our customers trust time and time again when looking for premium seafood.
Arctic Royal
Arctic Royal is our premium long-serving flagship brand with more than 200 products in the range. Originally available to just restaurants and chefs, Arctic Royal has expanded into the retail sector. It is now one of the fastest-growing brands on the market, bringing the world's finest seafood, closer to home.
Clear Seas
Clear Seas was developed to compliment our Arctic Royal range and offers excellent everyday value for money. Available to both the foodservice industry and retail customers, Clear Seas offers an extensive range of products including squid, lobster and prawns at cost-effective prices.