Something fishy with Simon Rhodes from Lobsterpot Fishmongers, Wood Street Food Hall

SARDINES are small oily fish from the herring family. They used to be called pilchards but fell out of favour with the British public who associated them with dated tinned packaging.

The Cornish then rebranded them as Cornish sardines and suddenly they were back in favour, and are now as popular as ever, especially with the Spanish and Portuguese.

These little beauties are high in Omega 3 which means they are good for your brain and joints. If you suffer from arthritis try these out and you’ll soon be running around like a two-year-old and doing The Times crossword!

However all is not well for the Madeiran sardine; this small Atlantic fish that has become a lunchtime favourite and evening tapas treat is in danger of becoming extinct.

Overfishing off the African coast is pushing the Madeiran sardine and many other fish species towards oblivion, warn the influential custodians of the planet’s Red List of endangered species.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature published a report that warns of an imminent catastrophe for fish species as well as a potential food security crisis for up to 400 million people who rely on them as diet staples along the west coast of Africa. These economical fish are extremely versatile providing essential nutritious oils.

They are a simple fish to cook which means that you simply grill or fry them, drizzle with a little olive oil, sea salt and a squeeze of lemon and serve. They are ideal served with delicious warm crusty bread.

They have very tiny bones which are easy to eat. If that still feels a bit daunting ask me to fillet them for you and I will happily oblige.