Catering staff from a Lancashire, England hotel have been out in Morecambe Bay, learning how to catch the perfect seafood species ahead of the Northwest England hotel's first-ever Seafood Festival in early July.

The Midland Hotel General Manager Mark Needham and Head Chef Michael Wilson went onto the water with local shrimping expert Frank Benson to see how the region's most popular dish, Morecambe Bay potted shrimp, is caught and prepared.

“Nothing beats the freshness of that daily catch and The Midland has been enjoying Frank Benson’s shrimps since the hotel re-opened in 2008,” explains Mark Needham. “It’s been a fascinating experience to trace the route of this delicacy from the sea water of Britain’s second largest bay to the tables of our Sun Terrace restaurant.”

Shrimping on the bay has been vital to the region's culture and economy for centuries and Needham said "an in-depth knowledge of the shifting quicksands and tidal patterns of Morecambe Bay is vital," hence the trip with Benson, whose family history in shrimping goes back three generations.

The hotel's manager and chef are preparing for the inaugural Seafood Festival, taking place July 2 and 3, featuring a dinner dance, a seafood farmers market and a champagne and oyster bar.

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UK hotel's staff learns shrimping from the inside