FISHPÍNÍ:Most kids will choose sausages over fish every time, but a new format may help. Developed by father of four, Eugene Scally, the Fishpini fish sausage has been launched.

“My two younger kids were reluctant to eat fish but were both fond of sausages and that’s where the original idea came from,” he says.

As his “day” job Scally owns and runs a SuperValu supermarket in Clonakilty in west Cork, which employs 115 people full-time. Seven people work in its kitchen. The fishpíní were developed by the team in-house and tested by staff and their families. The development was assisted by BIM’s Seafood Development Centre, which is on Scally’s doorstep in Clonakility. “We spent a lot of time working on the recipe and on tastings until we were satisfied we had it right,” Scally says. “Fishpíní is a natural product with no additives or preservatives. At times we felt like giving up, but the team stuck with it and eventually it came right.”

Scally’s kitchen is producing Fishpíní three times a week and selling about 50kg of produce to local customers. So far Scally has not taken Fishpíní beyond his local area, as the product only has a three- to four-day shelf life. He would consider sharing the recipe with people interested in making the product. The plan is to extend the range of flavours to four.