A FOOD fan and former journalist discovered his dream job when he was made redundant - by becoming a fishmonger.

Simon Osborne opened the doors to his shop Poisson, in Northfield Avenue, Northfields, on December 1st and runs it with his wife Katie.
The couple, of Overdale Road nearby, decided to go into business together when they lost their jobs last year.

Mr Osborne said: "I've been interested in food for many years, from an amateur chef's point of view, particularly fresh, quality, organic food. We moved to Northfields six years ago and ever since we've lived here we thought it'd be nice to run our own business and work in some way with food. And we noticed there was a lack of a good fishmonger in the area.

"The supermarket doesn't have the range, quality or freshness of the fish I have so from a business point of view it made sense."

Thanks to his existing interests the father-of-four felt he was already halfway there in the knowledge needed for the job. The rest of the skills he learned in courses run by Billingsgate Fish market in East London and through the help of Ted Saunders, a fishmonger of 50 years experience who runs TH Carr in Pitshanger Lane.

Mr Osborne, who has lived in the borough for ten years used to write copy for an ITN website, added: "Although it's hard work with early starts - I leave the house at 4am to get to Billingsgate Market - and sometimes late finishes, I thoroughly enjoy it. After spending the past ten years working for ITN in an office in a basement it's wonderful to be meeting people and having a good chin wag about food and other things.

"I enjoy the creativity: buying the fish, setting up the shop, talking to customers about recipes as well as the communication with people, similar to the things that first attracted me to becoming a local reporter 22 years ago.

"Everyone is pleased to see you and it's nice to feel appreciated."