The fish Sardina pilchardus can be found from the Mediterranean up to the coast of Cornwall in the United Kingdom. The smaller of the species are often known as sardines but in Cornwall these mature fish, which are fatter and longer, are between 10 and 14 pieces per kilo and were traditionally called pilchards.
During the Cornish season, which lasts from June until the following March, small fishing boats sail out for a few hours at sunset to cast their nets. Using either traditional drift or ring nets the boats only fish for a few hours, icing the catch as they go, before landing later the same evening. The mesh size has been developed over many years to be species specific and there is a strictly controlled maximum size of vessel allowed on the fishery.
Since 1555, when exports were first recorded, Cornish pilchards were salted whole in bulk, then pressed and packed into wooden barrels and boxes and sold throughout Europe.
Before electricity was discovered salting was the main method of fish preservation and the Catholic countries of Europe provided a good market for fish products.
At the beginning of the 20th century there were dozens of plants salting pilchards in Cornwall supplying the booming Italian, French and Spanish markets where they were sold from travelling carts in the remote rural regions.
In Italy, which remains the primary market today, they were used in rustic dishes as the most economical salted fish to give flavour to the staple diet of pasta or polenta.
By the 1960s, with alternatives of fresh and frozen fish, only one plant continued to pack salt pilchards in Cornwall.
This unique taste, after 500 years of production, was in danger of disappearing and in 2003 Slow Food decided to assist the last remaining producer, The Pilchard Works in Newlyn, and a small fleet of local boats by forming a Presidium.

The Presidium
Slow Food’s creation of the original Cornish Salt Pilchard Presidium however, could not stem the tide of new regulations regarding production, distribution and display of the product and salt pilchard production ceased in 2005.
But it had strengthened the resolve of the Cornish fishing community to find new ways of marketing this prolific, local fish. The Pilchard Works had re-branded fresh pilchards as “Cornish sardines” in 1997 and together with a dedicated group of fishermen, two local processors and a major supermarket they continued to develop new products for the fresh, frozen and tinned markets.
In 2004 in order to ensure a sustainable development of the fishery the three processors and ten boats joined together with the regulatory bodies and formed the Cornish Sardine Management Association. To protect their marketing efforts the Association has applied for EU Product Designation of Origin status (PDO) for “Cornish Sardines”.
In the ten years to 2007 local catches increased from 7 tonnes to 2000 tonnes per annum with full traceability and whilst maintaining traditional fishing methods.

Production Area:
Great Britain, off the Cornish Coast

Presidium Coordinator:
Nick Howell
Tel. +44 1736 332112
nick@pilchardworks.co.uk