Forget tins of tuna, wrapped in coloured plastic, that only come in multipacks. The best tinned fish has had a makeover. Well, actually we're catching up with Europe, which has been doing it for decades, where the tins are known as conservas. It's not about convenience and mass production, but artisanal production and celebrating quality produce. Some canneries, such as the instantly recognisable Ortiz, have a 130-year proud history, and are now in their fifth family generation.
Like magpies, we're drawn to these attractive tins (recently, particularly through social media) that have really helped propel tinned fish back into our shopping bags and onto our plates. But that doesn't mean what's inside isn't as good as its exterior suggests. These are premium fish, preserved in varying types of oil, depending on the fish, which ranges from salty anchovies from Spain to British caught mackerel.
Some people can find anchovies divisive, but they're one of the best secret ingredients to really add oomph to your cooking with a real umami flavour, or can be blitzed into a salsa for added saltiness. My favourite way to eat them is incredibly no-fuss – on a thin lightly toasted piece of quality baguette. Below, all of the anchovies I've included are the brown variety, not the white. The former have been cured in salt for months, giving them a more intense umami flavour that's delicious and salty, yet balanced.
Another plus when it comes to tinned fish is that aluminium is almost infinitely recyclable, meaning there's no plastic waste or hard to re-use packaging. Now, from store-cupboard essentials to the most luxurious cans around, here’s the best of the catch, from Waitrose to Ortiz.
Read more: The best recipe boxes and meal delivery kits, 2026
The best tinned fish for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Sea Sisters smoked rainbow trout: £12, Openfoodnetwork.org.uk
- Best budget option – M&S Food Collection Cantabrian anchovies: £1.75, Ocado.com
- Best tinned tuna – Rockfish Cantabrian tuna in olive oil: £6.95, Therockfish.co.uk
- Best premium tinned anchovies – Premium tinned anchovies: £13.75, Bbrindisa.com
How I tested
Every tinned fish in this review was taste-tested on its own, and on a piece of toast. From the quality of the flavour to how the fish are sourced, I go into my full testing criteria at the bottom of this review.
Read more: 11 best coffee subscription services for getting your caffeine fix
Sea Sisters smoked rainbow trout
Best: Tinned fish overall
Weight: 110g
Origin: UK
Why we love it
- Sustainably sourced
- UK-based production
- Lightly smoked
- Great flavour
One of the biggest movers and shakers in the tinned fish world is Sea Sisters. Based in Dorset, everything is sustainably sourced, and produced in small batches by hand, with the fish farmed in the UK.
With its brightly coloured wrappers, inspired by the Spanish tradition, this brand has recently become very popular, with at least 10 tinned fish and counting now in the range. My favourite of the handful I've tried is the smoked rainbow trout (it's also available in chilli oil, too). This one has been smoked over oak wood and is preserved in extra virgin olive oil, and I love it with scrambled eggs on toast. It will do two very, very generously, but could also be shared between three or four quite happily.
It's delicate, very tasty – with a good smokiness to it and a little sweetness like maple or honey – and it's easy to see how this has a Great Taste Awards star.
Buy now £12, Openfoodnetwork.org.uk
M&S Food Collection Cantabrian anchovies
Best: Budget tinned fish
Weight: 30g (drained)
Origin: Spain
Why we love it
- Affordable
This is another well-priced tin that is perfect for stocking up with. They're great for canapés, whether that be at a winter party or a barbecue. Or, as they're so affordable, for adding depth of flavour to pasta sauces, stews, or quite literally anything.
They're classic anchovies from Spain, which have been aged for six months and are preserved in extra virgin olive oil, and have a good umami depth to them.
Buy now £1.75, Ocado.com
Rockfish Cantabrian tuna in olive oil
Best: Tinned tuna
Weight: 115g
Origin: Caught in northern Spain, processed in Devon
Why we love it
- Much better than tinned tuna from the supermarket
Take note
- More expensive than usual tinned tuna
From Mitch Tonks, the restaurateur dominating the south west with his fish restaurants, from the Seahorse in Dartmouth to the Rockfish mini chain from Brixham to Weymouth, is this range of tinned fish too, which he started in 2021.
This tuna is northern bonito tuna (the usual tinned tuna is skipjack), which are caught by rod and line (not in nets) – this is a far more sustainable catch method during a short fishing window of just a few weeks in northern Spain.
Each fish is filleted by hand and is tinned in olive oil. The fish is delicate and very soft in texture, and is much moister than the average tinned tuna. It might feel too luxurious to use in tuna mayo, but it will be the best tuna mayo you've ever had.
Buy now £6.95, Therockfish.co.uk
Ortiz premium cured anchovies
Best: Premium tinned anchovies
Weight: 78g (drained)
Origin: Spain
Why we love it
- Excellent quality
- Very large anchovies
Take note
- Expensive
The king of original tinned seafood in my eyes is Ortiz – easily the most recognisable tinned fish brand on UK shelves, thanks to its primary coloured tins.
Inside this tin are very large anchovies, the largest I've ever had outside of a restaurant. They come from Cantabria in northern Spain, and are salted for between six to 12 months, then are washed and filleted by hand.
The result is very long, meaty dark brown slivers, which have a fantastic balanced umami flavour. Due to their size (and expense) they're ones to be laid over excellent quality bread and served as canapés alongside chunky gordal olives.
Buy now £13.75, Brindisa.com
Waitrose No.1 peppered mackerel
Best: Tinned peppered mackerel
Weight: 110g
Origin: Scotland
Why we love it
- Excellent flavour
- Ideal for quick salads
- Boneless
- Great value
This tin of peppered mackerel in rapeseed oil really surprised me with just how excellent it is. The mackerel fillets have been prepared by hand, smoked over beechwood (which gives a great smokiness) and they have a lovely flakiness in texture, too. Then, they're coated in crushed black peppercorns and together it's a real punch of well-balanced flavour.
I'm not usually a fan of overly peppered foods, but the fillets have been perfectly seasoned where the pepper isn't overpowering, and have some of the best flavour I tasted during my tests. These are now cupboard staples for an excellent (but speedy) salad with crunchy green lettuce leaves and a drizzle of quality extra virgin olive oil.
Buy now £3.25, Waitrose.com
Catalina smoked anchovies
Best: Luxury tinned smoked anchovies
Weight: 110g
Origin: Spain
Why we love it
- Excellent smokiness
- Great to gift
Take note
- Expensive
The godfather of Spanish cuisine, chef José Pizarro knows the best of the best in Spanish foods, so you know any brand stocked in his online pantry shop is going to be unequivocally delicious. This is another pack of very large anchovies, but these set themselves apart with a delicious light smokiness that has seen them deservedly awarded three stars by the Great Taste Awards.
Coming from Cantabria, they're aged for 12 months, and in the final month are smoked, which really pushes them up a notch. They're ones to savour for your favourite guests as canapes and would make an excellent gift for the anchovy lover in your life.
Buy now £18.5, Josepizarro.com
Delicius Strait of Sicily anchovy fillets in olive oil
Best: Tinned Sicilian anchovies
Weight: 28g (drained)
Origin: Italy
Why we love it
- From Sicily instead of Spain
Take note
- Could be too salty for some, more expensive than other similar tins
A new brand to me, these anchovies have come from the Strait of Sicily in Italy, instead of Spain as most on this list do. Coming from this region, they're still considered high quality anchovies, but are usually smaller than Cantabrian anchovies. However, I found them to be slightly chunkier than some of the other similarly priced anchovies on the list.
Sicilian anchovies are usually more tender and delicate, and can be saltier. I found these ones to be very nicely salted, but it could be a little too salty for some. Of course, they're great to use in Mediterranean salads and pastas.
Buy now £2.25, Ocado.com
Sainsbury's Taste The Difference anchovy fillets
Best: Large tin for value
Weight: 74g (drained)
Origin: Spain
Why we love it
- Good value
- Excellent taste
- MSC certified
Take note
- Longer than some other meatier ones
This much larger tin is packed with anchovies, making it feel very good value at a little more than £2. Coming from Spain, the fish were caught in the Northeast Atlantic, and the anchovies are longer and thinner than some others that are slightly meatier.
Inside are large anchovy fillets (which are certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council) preserved in good quality tasting extra virgin olive oil. The fish fillets have a delicious deep umami flavour, giving an excellent depth and an aftertaste that I kept coming back to, enjoying it as a snack on toast.
Buy now £2.2, Sainsburys.co.uk
Los Peperetes sardines in olive oil
Best: Tinned small sardines
Weight: 120g
Origin: Spain
Why we love it
- Great taste
Take note
- More expensive that other similar tins
Coming from the Galician region in north west Spain, these are another option from Spain that is supremely high in quality. While the sardines are smaller than some others I tried, but they have a really great flavour which the olive oil helps preserve. The fillets are also still juicy with lots of flavour, but they still have the spines in, so do carefully pull them out before spreading on toast.
All the fish from Los Peperetes is processed by hand, and using the same techniques that have been passed down through the family generations.
Buy now £12.5, Josepizarro.com
La Narval sardines picantes
Best: Tinned sardines in spicy sauce
Weight: 120g
Origin: Spain
Why we love it
- Great taste
- Affordable
Take note
- Might not be for everyone
Coming from the Glacian region of Ría de Arousa, La Naral has a wide range of tinned fish and seafood including tuna, mackerel, cockles, mussels and octopus.
It's caught using small boats and the sardines are processed by hand. They have a fairly firm texture and a great savoury flavour.
As it's already tinned in a picante (spicy tomato based sauce), it's even easier to add to something for a speedy lunch, like topping freshly sliced tomatoes on toast or adding into a quick salad.
Buy now £4.25, Brindisa.com
Rockfish mackerel in sunflower oil
Best: Tinned mackerel in sunflower oil
Weight: 120g
Origin: Devon, UK
Why we love it
- British fish
- Easy to spread on toast as a quick snack
Take note
- Comes in sunflower oil
Usually, I'm not such a fan of tinned fish in sunflower oil, as it feels greasier and less flavoursome, but Rockfish's tinned mackerel in sunflower oil is delightful.
The mackerel is British, caught by a fleet of boats in Brixham, Devon, where the fish is landed and processed too. The fish is very fresh-tasting and juicy, and soft in texture, making it very easy to spread on toast as a great snack.
Buy now £6.95, Therockfish.co.uk
ABC+ mackerel fillets in garlic olive oil
Best: Tinned mackerel fillets to add to pasta
Weight: 120g
Origin: Portugal
Why we love it
- Great to add into pasta dishes
- Sustainably caught
- Company says it pays fair prices for the fish
Take note
- Could be too creamy for some
These mackerel fillets have been caught off the coast of Portugal and deboned by hand. Unlike most other fish I tried, they're tinned in a garlic-infused oil which the brand says is a good match for this briny fish. Added to this is parsley and lemon, creating more of a creamy sauce.
The fish has been designed to help you create a speedy, but delicious dinner, by adding them to aglio e olio, a traditional Italian pasta dish (or anything else similar that you love). Or of course, it can go into a salad, or be mixed into homemade fish cakes, or just enjoyed on toasted bread as a canapé at a drinks party or barbecue.
ABC+ is part of the Jose Gourmet food brand and says it pays fair prices for its fish, which has also been sustainably caught.
Buy now £12, Souschef.co.uk
What is the best tinned fish?
While there are now so many brands available that have pushed tinned fish up a few notches, the Sea Sisters range is exceptional, with the smoked rainbow trout being the favourite of those I've tried. It's incredibly flavourful, has a great texture, and is a real artisanal product winning extra brownie points for being canned in the UK, too.
I also loved the Catalina smoked anchovies, which are a real luxury that will wow guests as a pre-dinner canapé and would make an excellent gift for the real anchovy lover in your life. Finally, the Waitrose No 1 peppered mackerelis a real gamechanger for quick salads with minimal effort but plenty of flavour.
How I tested tinned fish
Tinned fish has shaken off its pantry-staple reputation and emerged as a bona fide delicacy. To separate genuine standouts from well-packaged mediocrity, I put a range of tins to the test using the following criteria:
For more recommendations, read my review of the best supermarket sourdough to add to your weekly shop
