Fish Skinners & Descalers
Professional fish preparation equipment from Cretel, Belgium. Precision-engineered fish skinners, descalers, scalers, pin bone removers, bloodline trimmers and wet sharpening machine. Built from stainless steel for maximum yield, hygienic operation and reliable continuous performance.
About Our Fish Preparation Equipment Range
Global Food Technology is the UK and Ireland supplier of Cretel fish skinners, descalers and scaling machines. Whether you need a compact tabletop fish skinner or a high-capacity automatic skinning machine, we supply industrial fish skinners built for clean cuts, high yield and dependable production. Global Food Technology supplies Cretel fish preparation equipment to seafood processors across the UK and Ireland. Manufactured in Belgium, Cretel machines combine over 50 years of engineering expertise with robust stainless steel construction, hygienic design and dependable performance in demanding processing environments.
Our range includes compact tabletop fish skinners, floor-standing manual and automatic skinners, specialist skate and ray skinners, fish scaling machines, pin bone removers, bloodline trimmers and wet sharpening equipment.
Designed for salmon, trout, whitefish, flatfish, skate, ray and other seafood species, our fish preparation equipment helps processors improve yield, reduce waste, minimise labour and maintain consistent product quality. Reliable, easy to clean and built for continuous operation, these machines are suitable for seafood processors of all sizes.
Products in Fish Skinners / Descalers
Cretel 360 Skate and Ray Skinner
The Cretel Skate Skinner is specially designed for efficient and hygienic skinning of skate and rays. Its standout feat...
View detailsCretel 360 Tabletop Fish skinner
Cretel 360 Compact Tabletop Fish Skinner – Efficient, Hygienic, and Built to Last Efficient, Hygienic Fish Skinning in...
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Cretel RS25 Scaling Machine
This handy appliance removes scales from all kinds of fish. The motor has been tested and approved for continuous use. T...
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Cretel 460TAC Automatic Fish Skinner
High-speed, fully automatic fish skinning machine for industrial seafood processing. The Cretel 460TAC is a fully auto...
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Cretel F460A – New Generation Automatic Fish Skinner
Cretel F460A Automatic Fish Skinner – New Generation Next-generation fully automatic fish skinner with quick thickness...
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Cretel F460M Fish Skinner
Standalone floor-standing fish skinner for salmon, trout, whitefish and flatfish. Robust stainless steel, built for continuous seafood processing.
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Cretel Pin Bone Removers (Exos Range)
Cretel Exos pin bone removers for fast, hygienic removal of pin bones from salmon, trout and other fish fillets. Mini, 130 and 221 models...
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Cretel Bloodline Trimmer
Cretel manual bloodline trimmers (MZ130, MZ145, MZ200) for fast, accurate removal of the bloodline from salmon, trout and oily fish...
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Sharpenset SH00 Wet Sharpening Machine
Professional wet sharpening machine for filleting, boning and skinning knives. 180W water-cooled diamond-trued stone, 7.5° guide...
View detailsFish skinning methods explained
Different products and finishes call for different skinning techniques. Cretel fish skinners handle each with precision, adjustable to your species, throughput and required finish.
Skin-on (thin) skinning
A shallow cut that removes only the outer skin while leaving the silver membrane and maximum flesh intact. Ideal for salmon and trout fillets where yield and appearance matter most.
Deep skinning
A deeper cut that removes the skin along with the fat layer and any discoloured flesh beneath, producing a clean, uniform fillet surface for premium presentation and smoking.
Silver-skin removal
Precise removal of the tough silver membrane from fillets and loins, giving a clean, ready-to-cook or ready-to-portion product. Essential for high-grade salmon, trout and whitefish.
Descaling
Cretel fish scaling machines remove scales quickly and hygienically before filleting, protecting product quality and reducing manual labour across whole-fish processing.
Every Cretel skinner is built from high-quality stainless steel with hygienic, easy-clean design, and can be specified to match your species, throughput and finish. Our team will help you choose the right model and blade configuration for your process.
Fish skinner FAQ
Common questions seafood processors ask about fish skinning machines, models and support.
What fish skinners does Global Food Technology supply?
We supply the full Cretel range of fish skinners and descalers across the UK and Ireland, including compact tabletop skinners such as the Cretel 360, floor-standing manual and automatic skinners like the Cretel F460A, 460TAC and F460M, specialist skate and ray skinners, and fish scaling machines. All are built in Belgium from high-quality stainless steel.
What is the difference between skin-on, deep and silver skinning?
Skin-on (thin) skinning removes only the outer skin for maximum yield; deep skinning removes the skin plus the fat layer beneath for a clean fillet surface; and silver-skin removal takes off the tough silver membrane for a ready-to-cook finish. Cretel skinners are adjustable to perform each method precisely.
Which fish skinner is right for my throughput?
It depends on volume and species. Compact tabletop skinners suit smaller producers and delicate handling, while floor-standing automatic skinners such as the Cretel F460A deliver high, continuous throughput for industrial fish processing. Our team will recommend the right model for your line.
What fish species can Cretel skinners handle?
Cretel skinners are designed for salmon, trout, whitefish, flatfish, skate, ray and other seafood species. Specialist models such as the Cretel 360 skate and ray skinner handle more demanding shapes, while general skinners cover round and flat fish fillets.
Are the machines suitable for industrial fish processing?
Yes. Cretel fish skinners are built for continuous industrial operation, with durable stainless steel construction, hygienic easy-clean design and dependable performance that meets demanding seafood processing requirements. They suit processors of every size, from small producers to high-volume plants.
Do you provide installation and support in the UK and Ireland?
Yes. Global Food Technology supplies, installs and supports Cretel fish processing equipment across the UK and Ireland, with expert advice, spare parts and ongoing service. As a specialist supplier we help you choose the right machine rather than selling a single fixed option.
Fish skinner FAQs
Practical answers about industrial fish skinning machines, how they work, and choosing the right model for your species and throughput.
How does an industrial fish skinner work?
An industrial fish skinner uses a rotating, toothed roller that grips the skin and pulls it against a precision blade, cleanly separating the flesh from the skin. The gap between blade and roller is adjustable so the machine can skin different species and thicknesses while maximising yield. Cretel fish skinners give a clean, consistent cut with minimal flesh loss, either skin-on or skin-off depending on the model and setting.
What is the difference between a fish skinner and a descaler?
A fish skinner removes the skin from the fillet or fish, while a descaler (or scaling machine) removes the scales but leaves the skin intact. Some processors need both: descaling first for skin-on products, or skinning for skinless fillets. Global Food Technology supplies both Cretel fish skinners and Cretel scaling machines such as the RS25, and can advise which you need for your product.
Which fish species can Cretel skinners handle?
Cretel fish skinners handle a wide range of species including salmon, trout, cod, haddock, plaice, sole, mackerel, herring, tuna and flatfish, as well as skate and ray with the dedicated 360 skate and ray skinner. The adjustable blade and roller settings let a single machine process multiple species. We can recommend the right model for the species and formats you run.
What is the difference between membrane skinning and deep skinning?
Membrane skinning (or "skinning") removes only the thin skin, leaving the flesh and any fat layer intact for a clean, skin-off fillet. Deep skinning removes the skin plus the underlying fat and membrane layer — important for premium salmon and smoked products where the dark fat layer must go. Cretel offers machines and settings for both; the right choice depends on your end product.
What throughput can an industrial fish skinner achieve?
Throughput depends on the model, species and whether you feed manually or automatically. Tabletop models suit smaller operations and delicate hand-fed work, while larger and automatic-feed Cretel skinners handle high-volume continuous production. Tell us your species, fillet size and target output and we will recommend a machine matched to your throughput.
Do you supply, install and support fish skinners in the UK and Ireland?
Yes. Global Food Technology is the UK and Ireland supplier of Cretel fish processing equipment, including fish skinners, descalers and scaling machines. We supply single machines or complete lines, with installation, commissioning, spare parts and ongoing service across the UK and Ireland.
How do I choose the right fish skinner?
The main factors are the species and formats you process, whether you need skin-on, skin-off or deep skinning, your throughput, and whether you want manual or automatic feed. As an independent supplier we can walk you through the Cretel range — from the tabletop 360 to high-capacity automatic models — and match a machine to your exact needs. Get in touch for a recommendation or a trial.