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Carp-e diem

Waitrose

26 November 2007

Last year saw dramatic sales increases of more than 50% year on year and Waitrose is expecting similar growth this coming Christmas.

Among those currently singing the praises of Carp is Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall, who has included carp recipes in the newly launched River Cottage Fish Book.

Carp forms part of the Christmas Eve meal known as Wigilia in Poland. As Christmas Eve is part of advent - historically a time of fasting - tradition dictated that no meat could be consumed.

While the dish is still proving popular among Polish communities in the UK, Waitrose fish buyer Jeremy Langley predicts that it could become a more mainstream addition to consumers' shopping baskets over the next decade.

He said:"Carp has great credentials from a sustainability point of view and it has a bright future among British consumers. At a time when 75 per cent of global fish stocks are over exploited, there is a need for customers to broaden their palates with a wider selection of fish.

“Carp meat is low in fat and makes a tasty alternative with its pleasantly firm texture. I am confident that Carp will develop into more of a mainstream addition to our dinner plates, just as Pollock and Tilapia are doing."