The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word CHOWDERS
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
C
H
O
W
D
E
R
S
Buddy explains!
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CHOWDERS mean?
CHOWDERS noun- A thick, creamy soup or stew.
- A stew, particularly fish or seafood, not necessarily thickened.
- A seller of fish.