Have you bought your fish this week?

[georgemichael]

Billings has been very quiet this week.
Please Sydenham support your local Fishmonger.
Get some swordfish and try their recipe of the week.

GM

[leenewham]

The whole high street has apparently. I'm not sure why there seems to be less footfall this last week or so.

[girl_canuck]

The swordfish I had a couple of weeks ago was *amazing*. I'm going to pop in this afternoon for tonight's dinner.

[Savvy]

Its because we've been on holiday so Mr Savvy has been devoid of his favourite thing; i e traipsing up and down the bloody high street, picking and sniffing and oooh-ing and ahhh-ing and bringing back lots of goodies for tea. Not that I'm complaining..... he's made some great dishes with fish from Amo's. Brazillian Fish Stew (from the Martha Stewart website) was just for starters. I've never had such a healthy and varied diet since our fishmongers opened. We are loving it.

[girl_canuck]

I bought some coley today from Billing's. We're having Baja fish tacos for our dinner. Mmm!

Yes, does seem quiet in there though. We complain and complain that there aren't enough businesses like this in Sydenham, then we don't use them! I contemplated putting a little note in the fish section at Co-op telling people to cross the road and go to the fish mongers instead!

[mummycat]

ded

[norwich_girl]

I went in yesterday afternoon with my husband, and was really surprised by the miserable service we got. Have been in several times in the past and have been very impressed, but yesterday we actually felt like we were imposing by being there and that customers were really not welcome. We were quite specific about what we were looking for, and it seemed to be a real effort for them. I appreciate that everyone has a bad day now and again, and obviously if trade is slow there are additional worries from that side of things, but I am seriously considering whether resuming my trek into East Dulwich for fish.

[jonekt]

I think you may have been just really unlucky. I popped in yesterday and the service was fantastic. Was given two massive pieces of tuna and when looking for receipes was given some suggestions for tuna. Gave me some free parsley and even knocked a £1 off the price.

My husband isn't really a fish fan, but last night fed him the massive piece of tuna. He thought the fish was actually really nice, cleared his plate, and has said he will try some more as long as it doesn't come with a head or scales.

Really like all the serving suggestions on the back wall - brilliant for nervous/ inexperienced cooks like me. Also the fresh fish cakes, and frozen section I will be using too. Also it always looks spottlessly clean - which is soo important. When I walk home from work they are constantly cleaning and scrubbing, which instantly creating a good first impression.

Sign looks amazing and I think with more advertising and leafleting people will travel into sydenham to visit.

Keep up the good work!

[leenewham]

Glad you like the sign jonekt, I'm really happy with it, window graphics coming soon.

An enamel sign like the one we designed for Billings was just under £400 (including delivery).It's made by the same people who do signs for London Underground. Those plastic illuminated box signs (which contravene out planning laws) are in excess of £1,000.

I'll be adding costings for various shop fronts to the What if Sydenham blog soon.

I'm glad Amo and Billings have had such great feedback in this forum.

[davegr]

I would love to support Billings but I don't like fish. What else do they do?

[jonekt]

I must admit, I would really use a really good butchers on the high street. At the moment get it from either Somerfield or occasionally Sainsbury's. We would much rather support a local business.

I saw somewhere the owner of Billings might open a butchers. That would be really good and probably appeal to quite a wide spectrum of people living in the area. There is definately a gap in the market in Sydenham.

[G-Man]

Hopefully a butchers will open at the back of the shop, so it will be both a butchers and a fish mongers, very much focussing on free range and good quality local meat. Should be good, a nice one stop shop for flesh...sorry.

G-Man

[davegr]

I'm also a vegetarian, so I'm thinking that I'm not Billings' target market.

[jonekt]

I kind of hope billings doesn't diversify, there are too many shops on the high street that do 'a bit of everything'. I really like the fact Billings is branding itself as a high quality fishmongers. You know what you're getting and they do it well. They are experts and knowledgeable - and that is part of the attaction to shop there for me.

I would just like more shops to open which compliment each other and help the high street and businesses to thrive.

[leenewham]

It has always been the intention that Billings will be a fishmongers AND butchers. The butcher part should (hopefully) be open by Christmas. But I agree, it should specialize in meat and fish only.

[dorino]

I've been in this afternoon and also got very indifferent service, I got some fish but there was no customer service, he was more interested in looking out of the window and didn't even really speak, even though I was all smiles. And I have to say that some of the fish didn't look very fresh either. Very disappointing.
I really want to support local business, but Billings needs to work harder to keep me as a customer.

[alywin]

I didn't even know that Sydenham still had a fishmonger. Wasn't there one somewhere opposite the Newlands Park or Venner Road junction that closed down? Since I'm likely to be spending more time in Sydders soon, it's good to know. Plus I'd welcome a supplier of non-Halal meat.

But in fairness to the Co-op, it's not (or at least I don't think it is) an attempt to undercut Billings. My local Co-op also discounts fresh meat and fish a day or two before the use by date - and the nearest fishmonger is - well, probably Billings. Or the one in Beckenham.

[jonekt]

I definately think flyers and advertising would be useful for Billings. I wouldn't know it was there except for having to walk down the main high street to get home from work. Blue mountain did some really good advertising before they opened, offering a discount & flyering the whole area that there we opening. I think it helps to create a real buzz & get people talking about it..

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[Rachael]

Finally, our first purchase from Billings - wonderful fishcakes. Plenty of fish, fresh herbs, chillies and a lovely fine and crispy breadcrumb. Delicious.

(We also bought some mussels but, and if you are of a sensitive disposition, look away now, Him Indoors forgot to take them out of the plastic bag and they were all dead when we came to cook them. Suffocated. My man, the mussel murderer.)

[G-Man]

Bought some delicious lemon sole for G-lady's birthday dinner, delicious. Also purchased some smoked salmon and had it with scrambled eggs for brekkie.

Next time I'm in there I'll mention to Amo about flyers, some extra promotion would definitely help business.

G-man