Following the restructuring and a Management Buy Out, 3G Food Service Ltd, which incorporates Seafood Solutions, is now operating as an independent company. Smales and 3G will continue to enjoy a good trading relationship.

The shareholders of Smales Fish Merchants are Lee Smales, Chief Executive; Simon Smales, Sales Director of the Trading Division; and Colin Smales, who will continue as Non Executive Chairman.

Lee Smales said: "Despite the recession, all areas of our operations have already seen a significant increase in business and we are forecasting more growth. However, whilst 3G trades with pubs, restaurants and national accounts, Smales Fish Merchants supplies the retail sector, fish and chip shops and distributors. Rather than try to adapt the same disciplines to these different areas of operations we believe that the best way to maximise the opportunities ahead is to restructure the business, and give each operation its own specific focus, enabling them to implement their own key strategies."

Established in 1937, Smales Fish Merchants now supplies approximately 3,000 fish and chip establishments, which is about 25% of Britain's total outlets. The company also supplies selected independent wholesale distributors.
"Our volume sales to the fish and chip shops have increased by 15 per cent in the last year and with more fish and chip shops opening we are confident that sales will continue to increase. This shows that people are not prepared to give up on their fish and chips - in times of recession people want comfort food with value and quality," said Mr Smales.

UK Fisheries Minister is backing the call for the British public to help police illegal fishing in the Barents Sea and North Atlantic as
well as the rest of the world's oceans. Huw Irranca-Davies was responding to a call by Tim Cartwright-Taylor, chairman of The Frozen at Sea Fillets Association (FASFA), for consumers to help police Barents Sea and North Atlantic waters by only eating legally-caught fish from their local chippies.

The public's assistance is vital to help maintain the well managed fish stocks in waters like the Barents Sea and North Atlantic, where 90% of cod and haddock for the UK's fish and chip shops is caught.  Huw Irranca-Davies said: "Fish and chips are a staple of the British diet, and nowadays more and more people want to know where their cod or haddock comes from and that it's caught sustainably.

"Fisheries all over the world are under increasing strain from over-exploitation and illegal fishing, so it's up to all of us - the seafood industry, retailers and consumers - to help to protect and sustainably manage our seas and fish stocks, particularly vulnerable species, while allowing our fishermen and the businesses they supply to make a living and plan for the future."

Certain pick-up trucks and other commercial-type vehicles are built to very high comfort standards these days, so a pick-up or 'van' can easily be used as the main family vehicle. In which case does the company owned van become a company car?

The distinction is important because the benefit in kind tax charges are far higher for a car than a van (see example). Also vans, but not cars, qualify for the annual investment allowance (AIA), which allows the full cost of the vehicle to be set against profits in the year of acquisition, subject to the AIA cap of £50,000.