Joint venture promotes sustainable shellfish

Two family-owned shellfish businesses in the UK and the Netherlands have teamed up in a joint venture to produce a new range of cooked mussel dishes.

Krijn Verwijs Yerseke BV from the Netherlands (which trades under the “Premier” brand) and UK based Offshore Shellfish Ltd are the joint owners of Premier Offshore VOF, which was incorporated into Dutch law at the beginning of September.

The new venture “offers a new vision for rope grown, pre-cooked mussels, which require just a few minutes in a pan or microwave to produce a restaurant-quality meal”, the owners said. The new range of products will be sold alongside Offshore and Premier’s existing fresh shellfish.

Developed by top Dutch development chef Asher Bachrach, the initial range includes a taste of the Orient with Bangkok Mussels, a traditional French dish with Avignon Mussels, and a taste of Belgium with Classic Mussels.

Offshore Shellfish farms sustainable shellfish in what was previously an environmentally degrade area off the coast of south west England.

Co-founder and Managing Director John Holmyard said: “It is very exciting to be working with such a prestigious and established company as Krijn Verwijs. Our aims and objectives on ‘green’, ‘blue’ marine development match each other well. The new collaboration will be of great benefit to both businesses and will make our mussels available to consumers across Europe and further afield.”

He added: “It is rewarding to see that our mussel farm has created a habitat that has resulted in an increase in biodiversity and productivity of the area.  Our mussel lines and the surrounding seabed provide a wide range of ecosystem services, including food, shelter, nursery areas and protection for many marine species, from shrimp to lobsters, seaweed to sea urchins. Growing mussels is also an effective way to permanently remove carbon from the atmosphere, as it becomes locked up in their shells.”

Offshore Shellfish grows native blue mussels, Mytilus edulis, on suspended ropes in the open sea, between three and six miles away from the shore. Mussels are grown at low density in the strong, oceanic currents, which is beneficial for quality, rate of growth and meat content.

Krijn Verwijs is a family company with history of more than 140 years in the sector, which produces and processes a variety of shellfish under the Premier quality mark. The company has long been at the forefront of innovative technology, investing in new packaging and techniques to optimise the quality of its products, shorten the supply chain, extend shelf life, and minimise waste, all while guaranteeing food safety and a superior customer dining experience.

Bram Verwijs, director of Krijn Verwijs said: “We are delighted to enter a partnership with Offshore Shellfish to bring healthy, sustainable new products to consumers in Europe. As a company, we work hard to ensure that the bounty of the sea can be enjoyed by everyone, now and in the future.”

In 2021, Krijn Verwijs made the switch to 100% green energy and is committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2025.