Mussels are being touted as the perfect winter food for shoppers looking for good quality, indulgent meals.

The molluscs are “particularly fat and delicious” in the winter months, according to seafood authority Seafish, and are increasingly being seen as a good value, easy-to-prepare option.

Sales of fresh mussels have risen 9% in value over the last year to £16m, Seafish reports. Their profile has been helped by chefs such as Heston Blumenthal, who recently included Scottish rope-grown mussels on his revamped menu for Little Chef.

Mussels are available all-year-round and are sustainably farmed around the coast of the UK, from the west coast of Scotland to the Menai Strait in north west Wales.

They are being promoted as a modern, healthy food, low in fat and high in omega-3, with antioxidants that boost the immune system and lower the risk of heart disease.

Consumers are being advised to try mussels cooked in a sauce and served with a hunk of bread. Possible sauces range from a simple white wine to a more exotic Thai or Indian curry.

Topics