Our history over 5 generations

Our family has been in the fishing industry for over 100 years now. Seafood has been running through the Jack families blood for generations. G&J Jack seafood’s are now in the 5th generation of trading. We are very proud that in this time, we have provided an immense amount of seafood to all over the world.

Granny Bessie used to travel round the local farms from her home in St. Combs, with her creel full of fish on her back, covered with a meticulously clean white cloth covering the fish, which she was well known for. She would trade the fish for milk, eggs, chicken from the farms she visited. As granny got older, she was the one who suggested that her son George took over.

Granny Bessie

After being demobbed from the RAF, in which he was a pilot at the end of WW2. George and his brother Jamesy bought a van so they reach new customers further afield. They rented a yard in Fraserburgh, then after many long and tiring days they managed to buy their first lorry. It wasn’t long after that a 2nd lorry would be bought to transport fish to Scottish and English markets. From then on their customer base grew until they reached a point where they could build their own fish yard, right next door to where we are based now. They employed 15 – 18 staff in total. George & Jamesy had so much demand in east Kilbride that they then opened a 3rd fish shop which was very popular for many years until 1970 when Jamesy and his wife died.

First ever Jacks lorry

It was time for the eager next generation to take over which was Jimmy & his two brothers. They concentrated strongly on exporting meticulous, quality controlled seafood all over Europe and as far as America. With high standards, and customer service second to none came opportunity to grow the business which they then invested in increasing the fleet of lorries to 5, then with the help of French partners, they opened a french based business. They were one of the 1st companies to handle whole prawns in Fraserburgh,at that time. With the shellfish proving to be growing in demand they saw further opportunity to develop and established a shellfish factory in Campbelltown.

In 2000, the 4th generation took over the reins of the family business. Jimmy & his brothers previously set very high standards throughout their time in business, due to difference of views about standards on the 3rd of January 2014, G&J Jack seafood’s was born. We believe in only buying the very freshest of seafood, quality is our top priority, we continue to uphold the family traditions that have been with us since day one… We strive each day to give our customers the best fish at the best possible prices. It’s thanks to our network of excellent buyers who purchase the fish and shellfish daily from the local markets that we have recently added a base in Italy and an office in France.

Jason our youngest in the family to enter the business has been working from the bottom up in the past few years in order to learn all the aspects of the fish trade, and to make sure that the same principals are instilled in him, as it was in all of us.