Edinburgh fishmonger lands catch of a lifetime with whopping 77kg halibut

It would be the catch of a lifetime for many anglers – and now one fishmonger from the Capital has put his giant-sized catch up for sale.

Owner and chef Campbell Mickel shared a picture of the mammoth 77kg halibut alongside fishmonger William Ronald Elliot to give an idea of the sheer scale of the fish.

The huge halibut is for sale at Eddie’s Seafood Market in Edinburgh

Mr Mickel was pleased to have been successful in buying the halibut at Peterhead Fish Market.

Chef Campbell Mickel with the giant halibut

He said: “When I worked in Rafaelli in the ‘80s, we used to get halibut this size every couple of weeks, they were ten a penny.

"Now halibut are normally around 25kg – this one is 77kg. So when I got the chance to buy this big beast, I thought 'absolutely'.

"I’m delighted to see that fish this size can still exist. It’s good news for the oceans and I’m looking forward to seeing more that have had the time to thrive and grow – as this one has.”

Mr Mickel, Michelin-Bib awarded chef and owner of Merienda Restaurant in Stockbridge and executive chef of Cuisine Catering, together with his wife Giselle, took on the helm of the original fishmongers in Marchmont in November last year.

His goal with Eddie's is to offer something a little different to an average fishmongers, and Mr Mickel has started selling Hamachi tuna for sashimi and sushi.

Explaining last year how Merienda and Eddie’s Seafood Market would merge, Mr Mickel said: “When it came onto the market, I thought about it for a good while as I do with everything.

“I thought how closely I work with world-class Scottish sea produce, how proud we are of it and how I can improve it. I had a chat with Sylvia and Eddie.

“I have been a customer of theirs for over 25 years, from the earliest days of my career as a young chef.

“I realised that although there were a lot of interested parties, few, if any, would be able to match my passion for Scottish seafood. I decided I was going to go for it that day.”