Whitefish
Haddock
Melanogrammus aeglefinus · Norwegian haddock
Finer flake and softer texture than cod, at a consistently lower landed cost. The default choice for UK and Northern European food service.
Haddock is caught alongside cod in the Barents Sea and along the Norwegian coast, under its own quota. It behaves differently in processing: the flesh is softer and the flake finer, which suits battering and smoking but is less forgiving of long chilled transport.
The UK fish and chips trade is the single largest destination and sets the reference price for the whole category. Buyers elsewhere should track that market even when they never sell into it.
Season through the year
- January: Available
- February: Peak season
- March: Peak season
- April: Peak season
- May: Available
- June: Available
- July: Limited volume
- August: Limited volume
- September: Available
- October: Available
- November: Available
- December: Available
- Peak season
- Available
- Limited volume
- Out of season
Landed through the year, heaviest in the first and second quarter.
Where this product trades
Commercial specification
- Scientific name
- Melanogrammus aeglefinus
- Production
- Wild-caught
- Condition
- Fresh, chilled · Frozen · Smoked
- Size and weight class
- H&G 0.5–1, 1–2, 2+ kg. Fillets 100–200, 200–400, 400+ g.
- Packing
- Fresh in 6–8 kg EPS with ice. Frozen IQF in 5–10 kg cartons.
- Minimum volume
- One pallet fresh. One 20 ft container frozen.
- Product forms
- HG — Headed and guttedHead off, gutted
- FLT — FilletSkin-on or skinless; trim level and pin bone status stated separately
- LOIN — LoinThick back cut, pin-bone free
- PORT — PortionFixed weight, IQF or interleaved
- Shelf life
- Fresh 8–10 days on ice. Frozen 18 months at −18 °C.
- Temperature
- 0 to +2 °C chilled, −18 °C or colder frozen.
- Certifications available
- MSC Chain of Custody
- BRCGS Food Safety
- IFS Food
- EU establishment approval number
- Health certificate
- Catch certificate (IUU)
- Incoterms 2020 normally quoted
- EXW · FCA · FOB · CFR · CIF · DAP
Send the specification and we return standardised offers from verified suppliers — same weight basis, same Incoterm, freight and fees separated out.