National Lobsters Hatchery

The National Lobster Hatchery, Padstow, Cornwall.

The National Lobster Hatchery is a marine conservation, research and education charity based in Padstow, Cornwall, UK. What makes them unique is that their work is specifically related to a commercial species – The European Lobster and in the last few years they have successfully established themselves as a centre of expertise on a global scale.

Lobster is worth a huge amount in terms of both its economic and social importance. Consequently they are subject to considerable fishing pressure and vulnerable to catastrophic stock collapse. Both the Scandinavian and Mediterranean stocks have completely collapsed and not recovered to this day .

The species is the most valuable fish caught in the UK and is part of a major export industry. This one species alone is worth £30m each year and we know that without it, the small coastal communities would have very little, other than tourism, to create jobs and keep the harbours alive.

A female lobster can carry in the region of 20,000 eggs under their abdomen, however only one of these is expected to survive in the wild. With skilful and careful application of modern technology the Lobster Hatchery can improve this survival rate by about 1000 times! They released over 53,000 juvenile lobsters in 2014 and aim to increase this number over time. They are even undertaking a population modelling exercise that will help us to define how many lobsters they should release in a given year.

We first started officially supporting The National Lobster Hatchery in 2019, and we now run annual fundraising and awareness campaigns to support their much needed research and restocking activities. Nathan was invited to become a Patron, and considers their work invaluable to our industry and the future of Lobsters:

“From the window of Outlaw’s New Road in Port Isaac, I watch the fishermen as they gather lobsters from their pots. For me and many like me, lobster is one the most luxurious and enjoyable seafoods available. However, if something isn’t done to protect lobster stocks, in a relatively short time, these things will just be memories. I am proud to be a Patron and would urge anyone with an interest in marine biology and sustainability, or who merely wants to continue to enjoy eating seafood in years to come, to support this worthy cause.”

OUTLAW'S COMMUNITY
NATIONAL LOBSTER HATCHERY

We exclusively serve a fixed price seafood menu at £88 per person.
Tables are required back 2 hours from the time of booking.
We do not allow babies or children under 10 in the restaurant.
reservations can be made up to 90 days in advance
Dogs are not permitted in the restaurant.

By reserving a table at Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen you are deemed to have accepted the terms of our Cancellation Policy.

Outlaw's New Road logo

  • We exclusively serve a seafood tasting menu at £175 per person.
  • Please allow up to 3.5 hours to enjoy the experience.
  • We take reservations up to 90 days in advance.
  • Our upstairs dining room can accommodate tables of up to 6 guests.
  • For groups up to 9 guests we take reservations on our downstairs kitchen bar seating.
  • Please notify us of any dietary requirements within the “comments” box after you have selected your preferred date and time of reservation.
  • We do not allow babies or children under 10 in the restaurant.

    By reserving a table at Outlaw’s New Road you are deemed to have accepted the terms of our Cancellation Policy.