fishNZ.info - Fine Fresh Food Direct to your door

The internet has ushered in a brand new age for shoppers. For centuries, the finest goods were only available to people who lived in close proximity to large towns, where shopkeepers and retailers would amass wonders from the local area and around the world. Nowadays, anyone with a post box and an internet connection can receive top quality produce from around the world.

One area where the online market is mushrooming is gourmet food. From a virtually nonexistent market ten years ago, thousands of people around the world now buy gourmet food online each week. It is important to consider, before purchasing, that many countries have restrictions in place on the import and export of foodstuffs, and you should always check up on this before placing an order.

British gourmet food supplier Forman & Field has been one of the leading UK suppliers of smoked salmon, caviar and various other high end foodstuffs for over a hundred years and is based in London's East End. Here are a selection of their most popular online products:

Caviar

Although the international caviar market is going through turbulent times, many people choose to buy caviar online. Overfishing of the sturgeon has created a situation where America has banned the import of Beluga caviar and the dish, along with Oscietra caviar, has disappeared from the menu in many fine restaurants. Estimates suggest that, at the current rate of fishing, the sturgeon will be near to extinction by 2010 although efforts are now being made to commercially farm sturgeon.

Smoked Salmon

Forman & Field is one of the foremost suppliers of high-quality smoked salmon in the UK. Customers buy smoked salmon from a fishmonger like Forman because the fish is caught wild, as opposed to the farmed salmon sold at many supermarkets. There are ethical implications whichever type of salmon you go for: farmed salmon is infamous for disease and fattier meat, while wild salmon stocks are estimated to be at an all time low. If you feel caught between a rock and a hard place, the best thing to do is just enjoy your fish supper.

Meat

Forman and Field has a wide range of high quality meats, ranging from sausages to the perennially popular Alderton ham. Since Jamie Oliver's one man crusade to improve Britain's eating habits, many more people are putting decent effort into sourcing top-quality meats, such as Alderton ham. The advantage of buying meat like this is that, not only do you get a tastier meal on the table, but you know where your food has come from and that it has had a decent life.

Meals

Forman & Field stocks a range of high-quality prepared food, such as quiche, gourmet ready meals and a number of delicious pies and pates. While you normally associate ready meals with junk food, these go to show that a little care and attention goes a long way! It should be noted that these ready meals are not the sort that go in the microwave and will still need a bit of care and attention while cooking to get the best from them.