Seafood Excellence winners honoured
Oysters and seaweed products took the top accolades at the Seafood Excellence Global Awards, held last night in Barcelona.
The award for Best Retail Product was presented to Parcs Saint Kerber for its entry, Oysters Trio Saint Kerber, while Algolesko won the grand prize for Best HORECA (hotel/restaurant/catering) Product for its Wakame Pickles.
The competition recognizes the best products exhibited at Seafood Expo Global, the world’s biggest seafood trade event.
Oysters Trio Saint Kerber features four each of three of the company’s iconic oysters in a single retail box. The first is Saint Kerber’s historic European flat oyster, with a briny flavor balanced with a slightly bitter finish. The second is the powerfully briny Tsarkaya, a special Pacific oyster with a subtle finish reminiscent of sweet almond milk, and the third is the firm premium Saint Kerber with the typical briny flavor of the Bay of Mont Saint Michel. The judges noted the high quality and flavor of the oysters, and the well-designed, traditional wooden box with the fresh oysters packed in seaweed.
Oysters Trio Saint Kerber
Algolesko won the grand prize for Best HORECA (hotel/restaurant/catering) Product for its Wakame Pickles. A combination of fresh crunchy wakame seaweed with citrus juice and zest, salt, and vinegar, this product provides a unique new way for chefs to offer seaweed on the menu. The seaweed is sustainably farmed by the company on 350 hectares in a Natura 2000 protected area. The judges noted the distinctive flavor of the product and its versatility on the menu, including as an accompaniment with oysters, other shellfish, and finfish; as a crudité; or on its own as an appetizer.
Algolesko’s Wakame Pickles
In addition to the grand prizes, the judges also gave four special awards:
Phillips Foods, Inc. of the United States was awarded the Seafood Excellence Global special prize for Convenience for its Signature Lobster Cakes. These handcrafted cakes are made with wild-caught lobster meat in a creamy base of egg white and breadcrumbs seasoned with zesty lemon, tangy Worcestershire sauce and other seasonings. The recipe is fully prepared for the chef and only needs to be quickly cooked before serving.
Multi X S. A. of Chile was presented the Seafood Excellence Global special award for Retail Packaging for its Latitude 45 Smoked Salmon Candy Bites. Made with fresh skinless, boneless hot-smoked salmon, these bites balance salty, sweet and smoky flavors and are ready to eat right out of the pack. Although small, the recyclable package sleeve offers a wealth of information for the consumer, including product benefits, Best Aquaculture Practices 4-star and Kosher certifications, a full recipe suggestion, and a QR code for more recipe inspiration.
The Seafood Excellence Global award for Innovation was given to Lucky Bag from Vinh Hoan Corporation of Vietnam. Six vibrantly colored dumplings are made with pangasius surimi wrappers with colors derived from nutritious vegetables and fruits, such as yellow from pumpkin, blue from butterfly pea flour, green from spinach and spirulina, pink from dragon fruit, and orange from gac fruit. They are filled with pangasius surimi, shrimp, vegetables, and spices for a unique and eye-catching new seafood offering.
The SalmonChef® line of hot smoked salmon with international flavors from Vega Salmon A/S of Denmark won the Seafood Excellence Global award for Best Seafood Product Line. Featuring exceptional branding and design, the line includes four flavors — Chinese 5-Spice, Thai Ginger, Chili & Lime, Spanish Sweet Citrus, and Mexican Ancho Chile. This line was recognized by the judges for the overall quality of the products, the consumer appeal of the flavors, and the minimalist recyclable packaging.
The winners of the 2024 Seafood Excellence Global awards were chosen from a field of 40 finalists representing 15 countries around the globe. The winners and finalists are on display in the Galleria, between Halls 4 and 5 at Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, which runs now through 25 April.
The judges for the 2024 Seafood Excellence Global Awards competition were Juergen Pauly, Manager of Seafood Purchasing with Globus stores in Germany (chair of the panel); Raul Cervera, Seafood Purchasing Manager for La Sirena stores in Spain; Jonathan Rotge, Seafood Purchasing Manager for CORA stores in France; and Paula Merrigan, Head of Purchasing for Snowfox Group in the UK.
Vega Salmon’s SalmonChef® line of hot smoked salmon
