Context 165 - August 2020

C O N T E X T 1 6 5 : A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 15 Food and drink LOUISE PRIESTMAN Buildings, food and festivities Hull’s fight-back in the face of the collapse of its fishing industry has made the most of its historic buildings, its reputation for food and its formerly neglected status as a city of culture. Kingston upon Hull, more commonly known as Hull, is a city with an incredibly rich history, hav- ing developed a legacy of resilience and adapta- tion. It stands on the north bank of the Humber estuary, where the River Hull joins the Humber, giving water access to the North Sea and inland destinations. This led to the well-known fishing industry, which dominated the narrative of Hull for centuries. There were several major docks in Hull, with St Andrew’s being the fishing dock since the end of the 19th century. The city’s industrial past led to it becoming a major target for air raids in both world wars. There is still a bomb-damaged site, once an old cinema on Beverley Road. Despite the extensive bomb damage, from the second world war Hull gradually recovered with the building of many modern retail, domestic and indus- trial properties. However, pockets of derelict Victorian dwellings and infrastructure continued to decline, to be replaced gradually with new social housing estates. Fish and more At the turn of the 20th century, until its decline, one of the city’s primary employers was the fish- ing industry, alongside considerable supporting commercial businesses. The residents of Hull had access to some of the freshest fish available in the UK, much of it being caught in the seas around Iceland. From fresh fish for consumption, the fishing industry had adapted a naturally sustainable process. Any fish waste and condemned fish would be carted from what was known as the ‘wetside’ of the fish market, through to the Hull Fishmeal and Oil Company, which processed this by-product. This business would end up taking up to half the weight of all fish caught, converting it into sterilised animal feed, and other by-products such as soaps and oils. Because of the connections between Europe and Hull via the North Sea, other food stuffs, Hull Dry Docks (Photo: Fruit Market, Hull) The Old Fruit Exchange (Photo: Paul Gibson)