Tiny, sweet and intensely flavoured, brown shrimps are one of those wonderfully old-fashioned British treats that deserve rather more attention than they get. They may be little, but their flavour is anything but - it's rich, savoury and distinctly shellfishy.

They’re perhaps most famous for potted shrimps, traditionally warmed gently with plenty of butter and a little spice before being allowed to set. But they’re also fabulous stirred through buttery sauces for Dover sole, turbot or John Dory, tossed through warm new potatoes, or simply piled onto good bread with plenty of salted butter.

Unlike the larger prawns elsewhere on our deli counter, these aren't really about plumpness or bite. Brown shrimps are all about flavour and an awful lot of it comes in a very small package.

Did you know… Brown shrimps (Crangon crangon) have been eaten around the British coast for centuries. Potted shrimps became particularly associated with Morecambe Bay, where preserving the tiny cooked shrimps beneath a layer of spiced butter became something of a local speciality.