“I used to work in catering but wanted to reduce my hours after being involved in a traffic accident. Instead I ended up increasing it. By 4.30am I am already here to get the best fish on offer. The staff all come from the catering industry, with most of us being chefs. With our experience we can advise our clients on how best to cook the fish they purchase and how to co-ordinate a menu for a special occasion. We build a friendly relationship with our clients and they trust us in return.
Most people prefer filleting the fish they buy to make it easier to consume. We are extremely careful that the fish are completely free of bones. Besides fresh, whole fish we also prepare new recipes in our gourmet section. Many purchase fish that is already seasoned or stuffed making it easier for them to go home and cook it in the oven and it is ready in a few minutes. These products are found solely in our shop and we maintain a high standard.
Our priorities are cleanliness and a genuine product. To make sure our standards are kept, employees arrive here two hours before opening time to prepare all the recipes and stay on for another hour after closing time to clean up. The hours are long, but the satisfaction is huge and it is given to us by clients who keep returning and showing an interest in their purchases.
I am often asked the meaning of the name Bottarga. Bottarga are fish eggs that are processed and dried to make an extremely fine product the most popular being that belonging to tuna. It can obviously be purchased from here too. We chose it as the name of our shop because our intention was always to provide a high standard, superior product.
Everything here is fresh and most of it is local. It is not possible to find everything everyday since it depends on the fishermen’s daily catch which depends on the weather and the season. It is now a very particular time. People who are not dining out are cooking more frequently at home. A number of people prefer to shop online by messaging us. We prepare everything for them and all they need to do is come and collect it.” – Saviour Deguara – Bottarga
