Ramus closes but toasts new era at Fodder

Ramus Seafoods will vacate its King’s Road shop this week, but shoppers will still be able to buy its fresh fish at farm shop and café Fodder, on the Great Yorkshire Showground, which will become its new flagship stockist.

Speaking to this newspaper, Alistair Ramus, owner of the family business, said: “We just can’t fight the tide of changing shoppers’ habits any more.

“Having a standalone shop just selling fish is not what customers want now. But at Fodder, there’s unlimited parking and they can buy everything under one roof.”

He added: “This is the start of a long and fruitful partnership between two great Harrogate brands.

“We are passionate about supplying our premium products in a great retail environment where our customers can do their full weekly shop in one easy visit.

“Fodder and Ramus have shared values based on supplying high quality, ethically sourced, local products at a competitive price. We look forward to an exciting partnership ahead.”

Fodder’s general manager, Vanessa Pitt, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Ramus into the Fodder family. This is a very exciting step forward for us and allows us to offer customers an even better shopping experience by extending our range to include the finest fish and seafood from a highly respected supplier.”

Since it was founded by Chris Ramus in 1974, Ramus has built up a trusted reputation and was even named Seafood Retailer of the Year in 2017. The company will supply Fodder directly from its state-of-the-art operation in Grimsby.