Store renames fish to spare embarrassment

It has never been the darling of the fish counter, but is cheaper than cod and a guilt-free, environmentally-friendly option in plentiful supply off the British coast. Yesterday, one of the UK's largest fish retailers launched an image makeover for unfashionable pollack amid mounting concerns about dwindling stocks of over-fished cod.

Pollack, once deemed fit only for the cat, is being given a new name by the supermarket chain Sainsbury's after research showed that many customers were embarrassed to ask for it. Consumers are to be urged to try "colin and chips" on Fridays in preference to their usual haddock and chips. The new name (pronounced co-lan) is French for pollack when cooked, and reflects France's love affair with the British product.



Alison Austin, environment manager at Sainsbury's, said it was time to make pollack more appealing to British shoppers: "At Sainsbury's we're passionate about sustainable sourcing and protecting dwindling fish stocks. We want to help highlight that there are species to eat other than cod and haddock, which are just as tasty and often cheaper. Many people have said that they can't even tell the difference in taste between cod or pollack, so we urge everyone to try 'colin and chips' on a Friday."

The chain's internal research showed that shoppers interested in pollack were embarrassed to have to ask for it by name.