Before joining the company, he had little knowledge of what working in a fish market involved.
“I had no idea how it was going to be as it’s nothing like I had thought of before,” he said. “But now, being in it for nine months, I can say it has been really fun and I have learnt a lot.”
According to Tim Boyd, director of New Wave Seafood, Bush has developed a broad range of practical skills since joining the business. These include filleting fish, preparing seafood products, cooking lobster and crab, making fish cakes, preparing sides of salmon and producing taramasalata. He has also taken on customer-facing responsibilities, including handling telephone enquiries, taking orders and assisting with fish purchasing.
“I never expected I would learn how to fillet a fish in my life, let alone cook it, and suddenly I can now do both,” Bush said.
He also credited shop manager Adam Yeoh for helping him settle into the role and develop confidence in the workplace.
“He has been a great help with easing me into the new position. I can’t say I would be where I am now without them,” Bush said.
The young fishmonger believes early employment can offer advantages for school leavers looking to gain valuable experience.
“Not many jobs nowadays look for much else,” he said. “I rarely see job listings for any position that don’t already expect you to have a few years in the field, regardless of qualifications.”
“Getting in early is a great way to counteract that, and also a good way of trying to save money early on in life, which is all the more necessary with house prices and the cost of living.”
His experience comes as school leavers across the UK consider their options following examination results, with the seafood sector continuing to seek new recruits for roles across catching, processing, retail and seafood preparation.