Coombe Fisheries Ltd is a leading seafood processor based in the South West of England. With a turnover in excess of £17M, Coombe Fisheries specialises in processing seafood for food service and retail markets worldwide.  Formed in 1980, this local, family business has achieved consistent growth by continuing to invest in staff, plant and processing equipment to improve efficiency.

 

The customer wanted to streamline the food handling process and  double capacity, in order to secure the place as a premier seafood processer for the UK and globally. A project was developed to invest £4million in the design and build of a brand new seafood packing, freezing and temperature-controlled storage facility.

 

Starfrost supplied three systems for the seafood processing line, working alongside suppliers and with the customer to provide most the efficient and effective solution. The processing line has a total freezing capacity of 1,000kg per hour of fresh seafood products including scallops, sardines, whelks in shell, squid, sprats and cuttlefish.

 

Each Starfrost system is custom designed to perform a specific freezing process.  The production line features a Contact Crust hardener, designed for quick and even freezing, eliminating belt marks. The second stage is a Helix Spiral Freezer for deep product freezing prior to glazing. The final freezing system is a Hybrid IQF Tunnel, which hardens up to 40% glaze pick up in controlled stages.

 

This project features three bespoke systems, which allows Coombe to produce a high capacity of multiple products, ensuring maximum throughput. The unique airflow of the Spiral Freezer and film belt of the Contact System allows all delicate seafood products to be frozen quickly and evenly. The whole process allows the customer to improve quality and increase yield.