The Seafood Training Centre near the bustling Fish Quay area of North Shields offers anyone from private individuals to groups and those working in the industry the chance to learn about all aspects of preparing and cooking seafood.

It was officially opened last Tuesday by Margaret Fay OBE, chairman of One NorthEast, despite being in its new location for three months.

Ms Fay said on unveiling the plaque: "I was really delighted to be invited today. The seafood industry has a long history and is very important to our community today.

"The industry is changing and it's changing fast.

"We are all aware of sensible eating and our tastes are evolving.

"We have got to make sure that there is a skilled workforce available.

"The Seafood Training Centre has an essential role in this – increasing the training and education in this field.

"It's an exciting time for the Fish Quay and it is a pleasure to declare the Seafood Training Centre officially opened."

Managing director Dennis Osborne added: "We decided that what was needed was filleting training.

"Mechanical filleters will only give you 70 per cent of the fish but a trained filleter can give you 95 per cent so we opened the filleting school in 2001.

"We had one course to start with and we now have 33 – we teach everything from filleting, to cooking, to eating.

"We do a taster course lasting three weeks, this is a course for young lads who want to go to sea.

"They can no longer just go down the quay and learn.

"Here they learn everything including steering and tying up a boat. We now have fisheries coming around here asking us if we can provide them with crews."

He added: "Today is a special day for us we have had a tough time not knowing whether we are coming or going."

Consultant chef Adam Hegarty, who is the owner of Bays Bistro in Whitley Bay, told the News Guardian this week: "I come in as and when they need me.

"I have done courses for dinner ladies – I am trying to get fish and seafood back into schools.

"We take them down to the fish quay and then prepare the fish. I can show them three to four different ways to do it."

He added: "People think that cooking fish is time consuming but five minutes in a frying pan is a very long time.

"I bring recipes in from the restaurant – people like going away knowing that they can cook a restaurant dish.

Carl Rogerson, 19, who is a student at Newcastle College and also works at Sidney's Restaurant in Tynemouth has spent a day at the centre improving his filleting skills.

He said: "I'm here to work on my speed – getting my filleting speed up and I'm coming back for another session at the end of the week."

The Seafood Training Centre is a registered charity and is funded by One NorthEast with additional funding from DEFRA.