From selling fresh fish to making TikTok’s, a family in Maryport are setting the precedent of what a family-run business looks like in today's age.

Silverfern Fresh Fish have been making waves in the community for a year now, sailing through the difficulties of the coronavirus pandemic and the closure of the markets to find new ways of selling their produce.

John Mcavoy, owner of Silverfern Fresh Fish, said: "I'm so pleased we've been able to keep on going. We've become more and more popular every month. There was a moment at the beginning of when the markets were closing where it was either keep trading or tie the boat up."

John’s innovation kept the business (which is run out of his boat) sustainable despite the challenges of the Covid-19 outbreak. He said: "We were overwhelmed by the support from the public at the start of Covid. We were selling out within a few hours on the quayside."

John’s daughters Amy and Katie take part in the social media and admin aspect of the family business helping take orders online and selling to customers on the quayside.

Under normal circumstances, produce caught by the crew would be sold at Cumbrian markets or shipped abroad but instead they have had to adapt through lockdown and Brexit measures, managing to make good trade on Maryport’s quayside.

To keep their presence on social media alive Amy and Katie have kept a good rapport with their customers occasionally making promotional, informative, and entertaining videos and posts about the business to share on Facebook or TikTok.

With an incredible 4.6k followers in their Facebook group, it's no small wonder why the community love the fishing family so much.

John said: “People have been coming from Carlisle, Keswick, all over Cumbria. We’ve even had people from as far away as Manchester come for our fish and prawns.”

As one out of two fishing vessels that continued to trade in Maryport, John kept his family business afloat.

Trawling since a youngster. The 51-year-old, said: "I've been fishing all my life - the boat was doing well before Brexit and Covid and we didn't rely on the public as much as we do now. The prawn market was lucrative and we always turned over a good wage. It goes to show how much can change."

"The public saved our bacon," he added. "It's quietening down now but with Summer here we'll be back to normal."