A NEW shellfish processing factory that is geared up to process up to five tonnes of crab a day has opened near Paignton, south Devon, reports Phil Lockley.
The Blue Sea Food Company was the idea of local shellfish skipper and vessel owner Trevor Bartlett to meet a growing demand for UK shellfish meat.
He discussed his ideas with four determined young business postgraduates at the University of Exeter, who now collectively run the business. Dawn Spencer, Jonny Malcolm, Dave Markham, Richard Chatfield and Trevor Bartlett are all directors with 'hands on' responsibilities for the operation of the factory, Trevor Bartlett tells FN: "My father George Bartlett spent 32 years in the crab processing business before he retired 12 years ago, so it's not surprising that I always had an interest in that trade - as a kid I grew up knowing how a crab factory works.
"I
