FAQs

UPDATED MAY 2024

We have three different share types: 'Whole Fish' and 'Filleted’ and ‘Chef-Prepped’

Whole Fish

When we first started, all our fish came whole. While some people love this, it isn't for everyone. Almost all the fish will be unfilleted, sometimes not gutted and will still have a head. All flatfish are gutted (it is standard practice for flatfish to be gutted onboard the boat). We almost always cook our fish whole and you can find lots of recipes on our website (for all recipes, see the fish page).

Whole Fish Share Size

You're buying a share of a fisherman's catch. We have 4 different share sizes 1/2kg, 1kg, 1.5kg, 2kg. We say that 1/2kg will usually yield two portions. As an example you'll get 2 average sized mackerel in 1/2 kg portion - so plenty for 2 meals. 

Unfortunately fish don’t come in rounded metric units. They vary in size and weight and individual species also vary in their yields (i.e. how much meat is on the bone). We use 500 grams as a loose measure. Some weeks you may receive 650g, others 450g. If we're ever over, it's our treat and if we're ever under, we'll make sure we make it up to you on your next collection.  

Occasionally, when our fisherman catch very large fish, we may give you fillets or steaks. When you fillet a cod weighing 2kg you’re left with just over 1 kilo of fillets and just under a kilo of bones, fins and head. So when we give you fillets we deal in portions rather than weights, just bare in mind, they won’t weigh as much as your regular share.

Your share will be wrapped in parchment and bagged for you. If you are traveling a long way, you may want to bring an insulated bag to keep your share cool. Our fish will keep happily in the fridge for 3 days and freezes well.

 

Filleted fish

The ‘filleted’ share includes fish that have been cleaned & fully prepared for cooking. Most fish will be filleted, fish unsuitable for filleting (e.g Dover sole, skate, huss etc) will be prepared and ready to cook. This is a great option for those of you who want a quicker more convenient option. It can go straight from the pack into the pan.

Filleted fish Share Size

With the filleted option, we're a bit more flexible when it comes to share sizes. We buy whole fish off our fishermen and then fillet them down. When filleting fish, we tend lose quite a lot of weight in the head and body that are thrown away (but we've paid for). It means we have to buy in a bit more fish to account for this (hence the higher price for the filleted share). We take a single 'portion' to mean 150 grams of filleted fish (ie the 2 portion share will include 300g of filleted fish).

Your share will either be vacumn packed or sealed in a kraft paper package. If you are traveling a long way, you may want to bring an insulated bag to keep your share cool. Our fish will keep happily in the fridge for 3 days and freezes well.

Chef-prepped share

This is a fully prepared, oven-ready share. This share showcases your choice of either whole or filleted fish, prepared with fresh, organic and seasonal ingredients according to a new recipe each week. Shares will be fully assembled, packed in parchment and oven-ready. All ingredients used in our recipes are sourced from local producers including Growing Communities and Get Loose

Our in-house chef has designed a selection of mouth watering recipes to compliment the range of fish our fishers catch. We’ll be switching up our recipes on a seasonal basis to make the most of the ingredients we get our hands on. Recipes will rotate each week so you can expect a changing selection over the course of each month.

Collections

Where do I pick up my fish?

We currently have 16 London pickup locations with more coming soon. You choose a primary pickup hub when you sign up.  All of our pickup hubs are shown here. Some of our pickup hubs are staffed by us, others are staffed by our hosts. You'll get them same catch regardless!

We have partnered with some great businesses to host our SoleShare pickup hubs. They are however just our hosts and SoleShare is completely independent from them. If you are unable to collect your share, have a question about pick up hours or other, please contact us and NOT the venue.

If you know you can’t make it to a collection one week, please let us know so we can rearrange things for you. We just ask that you inform us by EMAIL no later then 9am Friday, the week before your collection. If you fail to inform us in time and do not collect your fish during the set pickup times we’ll make sure your fish goes to a good home, but you will be charged for it. At this stage we will have already ordered and paid for your fish. Any fish that is not collected by the end of the pickup will be given away at the end of the day. You will not be able to collect your share at a later date. We hope you understand.

If you can’t collect your fish, you have a number of options:

a. Send a friend or family member
The simplest and most popular option - you can always send a friend, housemate or family member to collect your share, just get them to say your name at the pickup hub. You don’t even need to tell us beforehand!

b. Collect from a different venue
We operate on Wednesdays and Thursdays in and around North/East London. If you’d like to collect your share from a different pickup hub one week, just let us know by 9am Fridays the week before your collection.

c. Swap weeks
If you collect your fish fortnightly and would like to collect your share two weeks in a row, this isn’t a problem, just let us know by 9am Fridays the week before your collection.

d. Collect a double share next time
If you’re away one week and you’d like to skip a week and collect double next time, it’s not problem, just let us know by 9am Fridays the week before your collection.

If you simply forget on the day, sorry, there’s nothing we can do. 

How do payments work?

When you sign up, you set up a simple direct debit with our payment handlers at GoCardless. Our prices are based on 4 week months, occasionally there are 5 weeks in a month, in which case you'll be charged for the extra collection that month. Occasionally we will take the opportunity to have a break on that extra week and cancel all collection for that week, we are a small team and sometime we need a rest.

Please see below the upcoming month with 5 weeks and the one we are taking off:

October 2024 we will be taking the last week off, both Wednesday 30th & Thursday 31st will be canceled.

XMAS & NEW YEAR WEEKS, CLOSED FROM 24TH DECEMBER 2024 UNTIL 13TH JANUARY 2025.

Upcoming months with five Wednesdays are October 2024, January 2025, April 2025, July 2025, October 2025.

Upcoming months with five Thursdays are October 2024, January 2025, May 2025, July 2025, October 2025.

Please note that payments are processed on the 1st of each month however you are welcome to join us anytime. If you join us mid-month, we will simply charge you for the remaining number of collections you are due for that month. After which point your monthly subscription will kick in and your payments will be debited on the first of the month going forward. If you have any questions about this, do get in touch!

Why do you take rolling monthly payments?

A small monthly commitment from each of our members translates into a big deal to our fishermen. It means we can provide a stable and consistent market for their catch. That's why we take payments on a rolling monthly basis.

I'm going on holiday, can I put a hold on my account?

If you're going away for 2 weeks or more you must tell us the month before your holiday (no later than the 25th of the month) what your away dates are. We will adjust your schedule and ensure you are not charged during your time away. For example if you are going away the first 2 weeks of November, you must inform us no later than 25th October. If you fail to inform us in time we will do our best to adjust your schedule for you (i.e send you a double share on your return), but you will not be refunded.

what do i do if i want to cancel my membership?

When you first sign up to SoleShare, you pay for your entire first month of seafood. After your first month your membership will continue on a rolling monthly basis and your account will be debited each month for the amount you originally signed up for. If you're happy with things, you don't need to do a thing. If you do need to cancel your membership for any reason, here's what you need to do: 

  • Please send us an email saying you want to cancel. We will confirm your last collection date with you and cancel your direct debit on your behalf.

  • We ask that you complete your collections up until the end of the calendar month that you have already paid for.

  • Please let us know by 20th of the month for a cancellation to take effect by the start of the next calendar month. For example if you would like to cancel by 1st December, please let us know you want to cancel no later than 20th November. This will allow us enough time to cancel your direct debit before it is processed for the upcoming month.

There’s a storm brewing, will I still get my fish this week?

We only buy fish from inshore fishermen. Their boats are all less than 10m long and sometimes they can't get out if the weather is too rough. We work with fishermen across the country, so small localised events don’t leave us high and dry. Still, occasionally we get the tail end of a hurricane and there’s no way to get fish. We can normally give you advance warning that there won’t be any fish, but we cannot guarantee it. If you ever go without fish, rest assured, we will make it up to you by adding on an extra week to your collections, or giving you a double share on a week of your choosing.

Text reminders

You can sign up to our text reminder service which will send you a text on your collection day to remind you to collect. The text reminders are an added bonus. Unfortunately, the software is not perfect and occasionally, your number may slip through the net. If you do not receive a text message, do not assume your share has been cancelled. It is up to you to remember to collect or receive your share each week. We’ll do what we can to help, but it’s your responsibility to collect your share or be home to receive it. If for some reason you did not receive a text but you are due a collection that day, please go ahead and collect as usual. If for any reason we need to cancel your collection, you will hear from us by email - our official way of contacting you.

Shellfish

We tend to get shellfish for our members once per month (weather permitting). By shellfish we mean crustaceans (ie crab, crayfish), bivalves (mussels, oysters, clams) as well as cephalopods (squid and cuttlefish). If you are allergic to shellfish, please tick the no shellfish option on your signup form and we’ll do our best to find you some fish. 

Crustaceans (e.g. crab, lobster, langoustine) are normally cooked beforehand and you simply need to dress them at home.

If we supply you with mussels, you will receive double portions. Oysters are supplied at: 8 per 500g/2 portions and 16 per 1kg/4 portions.

Book our Oyster Bar - Terms of Service

On the day of the event

We arrive ‘good to go’. We are fully insured and have worked at numerous commercial locations, restaurants and private residences. On the day of the event, we setup a stationary oyster bar with an inviting space for guests. We cover clean-up with our own rubbish bin and leave your space clean.

Confirmation, Deposit & Prepayment

We do not hold any spaces until we receive a deposit payment. We ask for a 25% deposit to secure your date, usually one month before the event and another 50% 7 days before your event date. Any other outstanding bills must be settled in full on the date of your event.

Cancellation Policy

Please note that your deposit is fully refundable up to 14 days prior to your event date. After this date the deposit is non-refundable and nontransferable. Any changes/cancellations are required to be made in writing.

Amendments

We reserve the right to amend your quotation should your guest numbers and/or order requirements alter between paying your deposit and balance. We are happy to amend any pre-orders up to 7 days prior to your booking but cannot accommodate any changes after this date. We reserve the right to charge in full for any orders cancelled less than 7 days prior to your event.

We want to ensure that you and your guests have an amazing time with us. Please do let us know if you have any particular requests and we will do our best for you. Full terms and conditions will be sent with the invoice when confirming your booking.