Culture
25 Jun 25

CS Fish: “When you see the produce you supply turn up on a menu – and see what they actually produce out of it – that’s the proudest part”

CS Fish.

With their fresh seafood found in some of the most renowned restaurants in the country – as well as in their own fish shops – CS Fish have established themselves as the West of Ireland’s fish supplier of choice. Cathal Sexton tells us how the family-run company has expanded dramatically over the past few years...

When Cathal Sexton first launched CS Fish in West Clare, it was largely a one-man operation, supplying five restaurants – with Cathal, the son of a well-respected local fisherman, filleting the fish himself, and delivering the produce in the back of his van. Now, 14 years later, his company supplies top-quality seafood to between 350 and 400 restaurants in the Midwest, including the Michelin starred establishments, Gastro Pubs, Hotels, Cafes and other Fish Companies.

To keep up with the demand, the family-run business now employs 45 people in their Doonbeg factory – which expanded last year with the acquisition of Irish prawn production company Fleming Seafoods – as well as operating three fish shops in Clare and Limerick.

CS Fish.

Cathal notes that CS Fish was, for the most part, a word-of-mouth success story. An emphasis on family and community remains central – with the company buying much of their produce from local boats, as well as running their own boat for crabs and lobsters.

“We still have a connection with every customer we’ve had from the start,” Cathal notes. “We try not to do anything outside of Clare and Limerick, but people keep hearing about us, and we kind of have no choice!

“We have to have strong relationships with the chefs, because of the quality of the produce they need,” he adds. “We need to be on the ball all the time, especially with weather, and quotas with fish. So my job is to buy the fish, and to talk to the chefs, to make sure they have on the menu what we can supply.

“But when you see the produce you supply turn up on a menu – and see what they actually produce out of it – that’s the proudest part.”

CS Fish.

CS Fish is similarly customer-focused when it comes to their retail shops, with locations in Doonbeg, Ennis, and, most recently, Limerick. That latest addition was launched in response to “at least 40 people coming up from Limerick every week to the shop in Ennis.”

“We won’t let anyone work in the shop unless they’ve done at least two months in the factory, so that they’re familiar with the fish,” Cathal resumes. “So the staff are extremely good. Cleanliness, tidiness and freshness – they’re our priorities.”

What CS Fish products are most in demand these days?

“It’s mainly hake and haddock,” he notes. “Irish organic salmon is very popular as well. We process our own crab here as well. In regards to the restaurants and hotels, with the fine dining, it’s a lot of turbot, John Dory, halibut, and black sole. It varies!

“We’re a country with water the whole way around us,” he adds. “There was a bit of a stigma with seafood for years and years. It’s only in the last 20 years or so that we’ve started to eat more of it. Everything was being exported – but now we’re using everything. We can’t get enough in Ireland now!”