Sunday 11 October 2026 | 6.00pm | Exeter Cathedral | Free Admission – All Welcome

With just under a month to go until Britain’s first National Harvest of the Sea, organisers are calling on fishermen and women, fishing families, seafood businesses, coastal communities and the wider public from across the country to come together at Exeter Cathedral on Sunday 11 October.

This is more than a service. It is an opportunity for the fishing and seafood industry to come together and show just how much the harvest from our seas matters to Britain.

For centuries, Britain has celebrated the harvest from the land. On 11 October, for the first time, we will come together nationally to give thanks for and celebrate the harvest from our seas.

The inaugural National Harvest of the Sea will recognise the fishermen and women who put to sea, the families who stand behind them, and the thousands of people and businesses ashore who make up Britain’s seafood industry.

A rallying call to the fishing industry and the public

With the event now only weeks away, the message from the organisers is simple:

Come and be part of it.

If you are a fisherman, bring your family.

If you work in a fish market, processing business, fishmonger, seafood restaurant, boatyard, engineering company or anywhere within the seafood supply chain, come and represent your part of the industry.

If you live in one of Britain’s coastal communities, come and celebrate the industry that has helped shape those communities for generations.

And if you simply care about British seafood, our maritime heritage and the people who bring food from our seas to our tables, you are equally welcome.

We want Exeter Cathedral to be filled with people who believe that Britain’s fishing and seafood industry deserves to be recognised and celebrated.

Held in partnership with Love British Food, and supported by Seafish, the National Harvest of the Sea will bring together representatives from across the fishing industry, seafood businesses, coastal communities, churches and supporters from around the United Kingdom.

Support from Her Majesty the Queen

The first National Harvest of the Sea has received the support of Her Majesty the Queen, marking an important recognition of this historic first national celebration of Britain’s fishing and seafood communities.

Her Majesty Queen Camilla will not be attending the service in person, but has sent a letter of support for the National Harvest of the Sea, recognising the importance of Britain’s fishing communities and this historic occasion.

Her Majesty’s support adds to an occasion designed to bring together people from across fishing, seafood and coastal communities, alongside members of the wider public, to recognise the people who harvest our seas and those who support them ashore.

The Service

The Dean of Exeter will take the service, with the Bishop of Exeter preaching.

The service will be held in partnership with The Fishermen’s Mission, with Helen Lovell-Smith, The Fishermen’s Mission Area Manager for Devon, taking part and giving blessings for the fishing industry, representing the Mission and the fishing families and communities it supports.

Colin Faulkner, Chief Executive of Seafish, will be doing a reading, bringing the voice of the wider UK seafood industry to this historic national occasion.

The service will also recognise the traditional skills and heritage that have supported fishing communities for generations.

Dave French will represent the traditional craft of withy pot making, a skill closely associated with the history of inshore fishing and passed down through generations of fishing communities.

Pride in the Seas England Exhibition

The Pride in the Seas England exhibition will also be on display at Exeter Cathedral as part of the National Harvest of the Sea, bringing another important dimension to the occasion.

Dr Sarah Coulthard of the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Newcastle University developed Pride in the Seas England.

The English extension features 23 fishermen and scientists from the English coasts, celebrating the people, knowledge and relationships that connect fishing communities, science and the sea.

The exhibition will give visitors to the National Harvest of the Sea an opportunity to see and learn more about the people whose lives and work are connected to our seas.

Recognising the whole fishing and seafood community

Fishing is one of Britain’s oldest industries. Every day, fishermen and women head to sea in all weathers to land high-quality seafood for our nation.

But the industry reaches far beyond the vessel and the quayside.

Behind every fishing boat is a much wider community: fish markets, processors, merchants, transport operators, engineers, boatyards, net makers, wholesalers, retailers, fishmongers, restaurants and countless other businesses and families whose livelihoods are connected to the sea.

The National Harvest of the Sea recognises them all.

Adrian Bartlett: “This is our opportunity to come together”

Adrian Bartlett, one of the organisers of the National Harvest of the Sea and Director of the Plymouth Fishing & Seafood Association, said:

“Having spent nearly forty years in the fishing industry, I believe this is an opportunity for all of us connected with fishing and seafood to come together and show what this industry means to Britain.

“We have celebrated the harvest from our fields for generations. Now, for the first time, we have a national occasion dedicated to recognising the harvest from our seas and the people who make it possible.

“With just under a month to go, my message to the industry and to the public is simple: come and join us.

“Bring your families, bring your colleagues and bring the people from your communities. Whether you work at sea, on the quayside, in seafood, or simply believe our fishing heritage is something worth protecting and celebrating, we want you there.

“This first National Harvest of the Sea belongs to everyone connected with our seas.

“If we want this to become a lasting national tradition, we need to get behind it from the very beginning.

“On 11 October, let’s fill Exeter Cathedral and show that the harvest from Britain’s seas, and the people who bring it home, matter.”

Alexia Robinson, Founder and CEO of Love British Food

Alexia Robinson said:

“For more than two decades, Love British Food has celebrated the people who produce the food that sustains our nation. British farming and agriculture have long been recognised through our national harvest celebrations, and it is only fitting that we now also celebrate the harvest of our seas.

“Britain’s fishermen and women harvest one of our greatest natural resources, providing sustainable, nutritious seafood while supporting coastal communities and our food security. The National Harvest of the Sea is a wonderful opportunity to recognise their contribution and to bring together everyone who values British food, whether it comes from our fields, our farms or our seas.

“We are proud to support this historic event and hope it becomes an annual tradition, celebrating the people, heritage and industries that keep Britain fed.”

Helen Lovell-Smith, The Fishermen’s Mission Area Manager for Devon

Helen Lovell-Smith said:

“For generations, fishing families have lived by the seasons of the sea, yet until now there has never been a national service dedicated to giving thanks for the harvest from our waters. National Harvest of the Sea is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the skill, courage and commitment of the men and women who bring seafood to our tables every day.

“At the Fishermen’s Mission, we see first-hand both the rewards and the challenges of life in the fishing industry. This service is about giving thanks, remembering those who have gone before us, supporting those who continue to fish today, and recognising the families and coastal communities who stand beside them.

“We warmly welcome everyone to join us at Exeter Cathedral as we celebrate this historic occasion together.”

Colin Faulkner, Chief Executive of Seafish

Colin Faulkner said:

“We very much welcome this inaugural National Harvest of the Sea as an opportunity to recognise the people whose skills, knowledge and commitment bring high-quality, nutritious fish and shellfish to our plates. It’s fitting that the event is taking place at the wonderful Exeter Cathedral, which is in a part of the country that plays an important role in the UK’s seafood harvest.

“Fishing lies at the heart of many coastal communities around the UK, but its contribution reaches much further than our coastline. It supports jobs and businesses throughout the seafood supply chain, provides nutritious food and forms an important part of our shared heritage. We are proud to support the event and to celebrate everyone who contributes to a resilient, responsible and thriving UK seafood industry.”

Fish24 CIC

Fish24 CIC said:

“Fish24 CIC is proud to support the first National Harvest of the Sea. This special service is an opportunity to thank the men and women who harvest our seas for their dedication, resilience and skill, and to recognise the many businesses, families and coastal communities whose livelihoods depend on a thriving fishing industry.

“The sea has shaped our nation’s history for generations, providing food, employment and a way of life. By bringing people together at Exeter Cathedral, we celebrate not only our rich maritime heritage but also the importance of supporting a sustainable future for British seafood.

“Fish24 CIC is honoured to stand alongside the organisers and our industry partners on 11 October, helping to raise awareness of the value of our fishing communities and encouraging everyone to choose, enjoy and champion locally landed British seafood.”

Mike Warner – A Passion for Fish

Mike Warner of A Passion for Fish said:

“The National Harvest of the Sea is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate not only the fishermen and women who bring home the catch, but the extraordinary variety and quality of seafood harvested from the waters around our shores.

“British seafood has a fantastic story to tell. Behind every fish and shellfish on our plates are skilled fishermen, merchants, fishmongers, chefs and communities whose knowledge and livelihoods have been built around the sea for generations.

“This first National Harvest of the Sea gives us the chance to reconnect people with that story — to understand where our seafood comes from, celebrate those who produce it and encourage more people to choose and enjoy the incredible seafood landed around Britain.

“I hope people from both within and outside the fishing industry will come to Exeter Cathedral on 11 October and help make this first national celebration one to remember.”

Plymouth Fishing & Seafood Association (PFSA)

Ed Baker, Plymouth Fishing & Seafood Association, said:

“As an organisation rooted in one of Britain’s historic fishing ports, PFSA is proud to support the first National Harvest of the Sea.

“Fishing is much more than an industry. It is part of the identity of our coastal communities, supporting fishermen and their families, seafood businesses, merchants, processors, restaurants and many other livelihoods ashore.

“At PFSA, much of our work is about reconnecting people with their local fishing industry and helping them understand the people, skills and commitment behind the seafood landed on our quaysides.

“The National Harvest of the Sea takes that message to a national level. It gives fishing communities from around the country an opportunity to stand together and celebrate what they contribute to Britain.

“With less than a month to go, we would encourage fishermen, fishing families, seafood businesses and the public to come to Exeter Cathedral and be part of this historic first event.

“Fishing communities need people behind them. On 11 October, we have an opportunity to show that support and celebrate Britain’s harvest from the sea together.”

A National Tradition for the Future

The organisers hope the first National Harvest of the Sea will become an annual national tradition, alongside Britain’s established harvest celebrations, and ensure fishing and seafood are recognised as an important part of the nation’s food, heritage and coastal communities.

Funds raised during the service will support The Fishermen’s Mission and Exeter Cathedral.

EVENT DETAILS

National Harvest of the Sea

Sunday 11 October 2026

6.00 pm

Exeter Cathedral

Admission: FREE – everyone is welcome

Come and be part of Britain’s first National Harvest of the Sea.

From boat to harbour, market to table – this celebrates everyone who brings home Britain’s harvest from the sea.