What Is Scampi? Everything You Need to Know About Langoustines and British Scampi

So... what is Scampi?

Dublin Bay Prawns. Langoustines. Norway lobsters. Scampi. Scampo. Nephrops norvegicus. This little lobster has a bunch of different names by us landlubbers. We prefer calling it scampi to avoid twisting our tongues into a bowline knot, though.

What fish is scampi?

When we talk about scampi, we usually think about the lovely, sweet fishy meat that’s coated in a golden batter or crumb. It might surprise you, but scampi is technically not a fish at all - it's the tail meat of a langoustine. Scampi meat comes from a langoustine, which is a crustacean (like a lobster or crab).

In the UK, scampi specifically refers to the tail of a langoustine. This can mean wholetail scampi (our favourite treat), or it can mean scampi meat taken from one or two different langoustines – either way, scampi tails are scampi, and all are delicious. Across the pond in America, they use the phrase scampi a bit more liberally. There, it can mean shrimp. Shrimp scampi and scampi pasta are Italian-American dishes – as this has no langoustine in it, from a UK perspective, this isn't proper scampi due to not featuring langoustine tails.

Is Scampi a Prawn or a Lobster? What are Langoustines?

Langoustines or scampi (same thing) are crustaceans in the lobster family. They live on, and burrow below, the seabed.

They’re decapod (meaning ten legs) crustaceans, and in this order, there are more than 18,000 different species, such as lobsters, prawns, and crabs. They’re part of the Astacidea suborder, so are cousins to your standard lobster or crayfish.

So, whilst they are decapod crustaceans like prawns, and look very similar to tiny orange lobsters, scampi (otherwise known as langoustine) is a separate species.

What do Scampi look like?

These little lobster-like crustaceans have long claws and an orange or coral colouring. They burrow underground, away from the beach, so you’re unlikely to spot a scampi in the wild unless you’ve got the keen eyes of a seagull!

Is Scampi British?

Half of the world-wide scampi catch is in UK waters. It’s one of the very few UK wild-caught species that you can find on supermarket shelves.

We responsibly source them from the fresh, cold waters around the British Isles, and carefully prepare them with our tasty golden crumb here in Whitby, North Yorkshire.

We source our scampi responsibly across the British Isles, which can take us as far as Scotland and Northern Ireland.

We pack up our delicious, breaded morsels and send them off, with a tear in our eyes like proud parents, to your local supermarkets, pubs and restaurants across the land.

Is all scampi Whitby scampi?

We here at Whitby Seafoods have been finding the tastiest scampi and shipping it to plates across the land for 40 years. A lot of our discerning customers do call it Whitby scampi affectionately. Whitby no longer has an active fishing port for scampi, so we mainly try to source from North Shields, just up the coast from our Whitby site.

How can I cook Scampi?

Scampi and chips are a firm favourite across the UK, and we love it with a dollop of tartar sauce and a generous serving of mushy peas. You can cook scampi in loads of different ways, whether it’s in the air fryer, oven, or the frying pan. You can find a tasty scampi dish or two on our scampi recipe page here for inspiration on delicious ways to serve it.

To find glorious scampi nearby, take a peek at Whitby Seafoods Where to Buy page – and don’t forget to let us know your favourite way to have it!