Kirsten's harbouring dreams of business success in Eyemouth

A housing worker plans to start building a new career by setting up a seafood business at Eyemouth Harbour.
Kirsten Walker.Kirsten Walker.
Kirsten Walker.

Kirsten Walker, 30, currently works in customer accounts for Berwickshire Housing Association.

But her long-held ambition is to set up her own mobile seafood catering trailer on land to the north west of Marine Parade.

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The plan has been on hold since the pandemic arrived last year.

Now she is ready to make her dream a reality after submitting a planning application to Scottish Borders Council.

If the green light is given, Kirsten intends to call the business Joe’s Catch, named after her beloved late grandfather Joe Blackie, who was himself a fisherman.

Mum-of-three Kirsten feels the outlet will be a great addition to the harbour and would be welcomed by visitors and locals alike.

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She said: “My brother Keil owns a boat at Eyemouth and I’m from a fishing family and that’s where the idea came from. My plan is to continue working for the housing association and do this initially at weekends.

"I took the idea from other fishing towns that have all got really good seafood trailers and it’s something I love. It will be a modern twist on seafood, things like seafood sandwiches, a seafood take on a cheeseboard, prawn cocktails, scampi, with a lot of seafood from local boats, including my brother’s .

"I started this in the middle of the pandemic last year and so it has been a long road as I have not been eligible for any funding and I have had to self-fund everything, which has been hard. That’s why I am just going to keep working and build the business up gradually.

"The pandemic has caused a lot of hold-ups but now I have a trading licence and everything else is sorted. If all goes to plan I want to start by Easter, hopefully March/April. I am literally ready to go and I am just waiting on the planners and then get my stock. The trailer is already set up. I have had amazing feedback from my business plan and I have been in touch with other companies that do it and they have been supportive. They say to just go for it. I think it will be great for Eyemouth, especially with the wind farm coming and the development on the harbour.”