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The Premier Seafood Family

01 The range: fresh · smoked · frozen 02 Four generations since 1962 03 One facility: Musselburgh

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THE RANGE: FRESH · SMOKED · FROZEN

Fresh from the boat

Landed at Scottish ports, cut, smoked and packed in Musselburgh, and supplied to written specification: retail trays, catering packs and frozen formats.

VIEW THE FULL RANGE →

Some of the companies we work with

BOOKERS

The variety: from every ocean

Fish from all over the world

From Scottish day-boat haddock to Mediterranean red mullet, we source an enormous variety of species from ports and farms across the world — landed, graded and handled in Musselburgh to the same exacting standard.

The history: 1962 → today

From One Man and a Van to a Family Legacy

Every great story has humble beginnings. In 1962, Jim Thomson began his journey selling fish from Port Seton harbour, laying the foundations for a family business built on hard work, passion and a deep-rooted connection to the sea.

What began as a small fish shop, alongside barbers and haberdashery businesses, has grown into something truly special.

Today, four generations of the Thomson family carry that legacy forward, combining the values and traditions of the past with the innovation and technology of one of the country’s most modern seafood businesses.

Jim Thomson outside the James K Thomson & Son shop, Port Seton
1962 · Jim Thomson, founder · Port Seton
The Thomson family and team outside the Musselburgh factory
Today · The Thomson family & team · Musselburgh

Sixty years on the same coast

1962

Port Seton: the first trade

Jim Thomson begins selling fish from Port Seton, East Lothian. One man, one van, and the start of the family trade.

The first shed at Port Seton harbour
The first shed · Port Seton harbour

1990

Five shops: East Lothian & Edinburgh

Jim opens five fishmonger shops across East Lothian and Edinburgh, putting the Thomson name on the high street.

A giant halibut being unloaded off the van
A giant halibut off the van

2000

The move to Musselburgh

The business moves along the coast into its own processing facility in Musselburgh, cutting, smoking and packing under one roof.

The full J K Thomson team outside the Musselburgh facility
The full team · Musselburgh

2022

The new factory

Expansion into the new factory: more kilns, more cold store, more capacity, run by the third & fourth generation of Thomsons.

The new Musselburgh factory from the air
The new factory from the air · Musselburgh
SIXTY YEARS OF THE PREMIER SEAFOOD FAMILY: FILM 08:48 · VIMEO

The factory: Musselburgh, East Lothian

Every fish through one facility

Over the last few years we have invested heavily in our premises here in Musselburgh — now one of the largest and most modern seafood processing plants in the country.

Capability in full →

Audited food-safety standards
Full batch traceability · Cold chain throughout