Appledore to get new ice machine

Malfunctioning machine to go

Appledore Fish Dock is to have its  “highly inefficient” and malfunctioning ice machine replaced.

Fishermen are frosty about the current ice-maker, which they say is unreliable. The 12-year-old machine costs £7,000 a year to maintain and does not produce flake ice, which is widely considered the best protection for fresh fish. 

Now the government’s Marine Management Organisation has agreed to pay £22,000 of the £33,000 needed to replace the machine. And in a unanimous decision at full council, Torridge District Council has agreed to stump up the rest.

An officer’s report says the current machine was “highly inefficient” and that its consistent malfunctions are damaging the reputations of the fishermen who rely on it.

Much of the space in the current machine isn’t being used, leading to money needlessly melting away on energy bills.  The replacement – a model called Geneglace F30 – uses 3.54 kW of energy an hour, much less than the 17.6 kW being used by the current machine.

The officer’s report concluded: “Appledore Fish Dock has been presented with a moment of huge opportunity. The pandemic has created a refreshed connection to quality produce, as demonstrated by the recent success of the recently opened Devon and Cornwall wet fish shop within the fish dock. 

“However, there are currently issues with potential customers both locally and internationally choosing not to purchase from the Appledore Fish Dock as a result of the ice from the current ice machine melting into one solid block over the course of time.

“The massed ice damages the look and quality of the fish, and also fails to fully encase the entire fish, causing a shortening of shelf life. 

“An improved ice machine is central to the future sustainability of the Appledore Fish Dock, securing employment at the Fish Dock and also strengthening the wellbeing and competitiveness of local vessels.”