FRESH fish fans will soon be able to collect their daily catch at Oxford’s Covered Market once again.

Worcestershire-based Pershore Seafoods is opening a new fishmongers on the site of the former Haymans shop, which closed in 2017 to focus on trading from the Fishmarket on Osney Mead industrial estate.

Pershore owner David Witts has struck a deal with market landlords the city council to bring back a fishmongers, boosting the range of fresh produce on offer.

READ AGAIN: Shock as Haymans moves out of Covered Market

Mr Witts said: “We are getting our fish counters and ice machines installed and once that is finished we should be ready to open by the end of the month or the beginning of April.

Oxford Mail:

“I was shocked when I heard Haymans was closing and wondered if there could be an opportunity for us.

“The Covered Market in Oxford is known for its fresh produce and shoppers want to buy fresh fish, fruit and veg, meat, cheese and bread.

READ AGAIN: Covered Market well placed for return of fishmongers

“We want add to the ambience and vitality of the Covered Market and we are looking forward to opening.”

Mr Witts, 49, who also sells fresh fish at an indoor market in Gloucester and has been a fishmonger for 15 years, said ‘dayboat supplies’ would come from coastal locations including Plymouth, Brixham, Brighton and Newhaven.

A wide variety of seafood will be on sale including cod, haddock, salmon, bass, bream, tuna, mussels and crab.

“Everything is weighed - a piece of cod for the housewife will cost about £2.20 - it won’t break the bank,” Mr Witts added.

READ MORE: Late night shopping is being trialled at the Covered Market

The market first opened in 1774 to get messy meat stalls off city centre streets.

Graham MacDonald, of iScream gelateria, a director of the Covered Market Tenants’ Association, said: “All the traders in the market are looking forward to having a fishmonger here again.

Oxford Mail:

“It’s really good news for the market and hopefully lots of customers will come here to buy the fish.

“David Witts is a very experienced fishmonger and we look forward to him opening here soon.”

Almost all of the market’s units are now allocated, after the city council took the decision to split large empty units into smaller units.

The policy has attracted new arrivals including The Oxford Soap Company, Fedele of Oxford leather shop and Blue Blood sports store and pop-up shops have also given the market a boost.

This followed a number of high-profile departures, including Haymans, Hedges butchers and Macsamillion shoe shop.

Oxford Mail:

Mary Clarkson, board member for culture and city centre, said she was delighted Pershore Seafoods will soon be opening.

She added: “Losing Haymans was a big blow - the Covered Market is known for having an excellent range of fresh foods but it does need a fishmonger.

“We do have a strategy to bring in certain types of traders to the market and staff have been working hard to achieve this.

“I’m a big fan of hake and halibut so I’m very pleased.”

Oxford Mail:

About £3.1m is being invested in the Grade II-listed market.

The investment includes £1.8m to secure the roof for another 80 years, and £1.3m for internal refurbishment and new flooring.

City council spokesman Tom Jennings said about 92 per cent of the units at the market were now occupied. Earlier this week Baron Robert Pouget, of the market’s Oxford Cheese Company said he was concerned dust from a neighbouring construction scheme could get on his produce.