Walter Purkis & Sons fishmongers in Crouch End

You know how I love fish? I have written before about my stepfather’s fishing trips in Åland, crayfish feasts, as well as my own foray into Billingsgate market one (too!) early New Year’s Eve morning.

You can therefore imagine how delighted I was to find a fishmongers right on our doorstep here in Crouch End. Walter Purkis & Sons is a proper fish shop, not just some small counter with a couple fillets of haddock, but here you find a display of hake wings, whole monkfish, rainbow trout, squid, but to name a few. I am unable to pass the window without looking into the shop and so have found that we eat fish at least once per week, if not three times…

Yesterday when Daughter was due to come back for a rare weekend visit home, and had requested my special fish pie, I hopped and skipped to Walter Purkis. I chose a luminous, fresh-looking haddock fillet, and was childishly delighted when the young fishmonger wished me a good weekend and with a ‘See you later’ waved me goodbye.

Because as a traditional fishmongers, the guys at Purkis & Sons are not talkative. No unnecessary dialogue apart from possibly the, ‘Would you like the skin off?’, or similar has before passed between me and the lads in the shop.

I almost feel like a local Crouch Ender now.

(And the fish pie was wonderful too, as were the salmon steaks I bought at Purkis and Sons on Thursday and cooked with chopped tomatoes, olive oil, a dash of balsamic vinegar and basil.)

Purkis & Sons
17 The Broadway
Crouch End
N8 8DU
Tel 020 8340 6281
They also have a very informative Twitter feed @purkisandsons where you will find info on the day’s catch – very useful.