The consumer marketplace

Nicki Holmyard summarises the key points of her presentation at last month’s ASSG Conference in Oban.

I was asked to give a talk at the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers’ (ASSG) conference in Oban at the end of October (see report, starting page 30), on the subject of “Cultivated shellfish in the consumer marketplace”.

I have been attending this conference for more than 30 years and for many of these, I was also the organiser. It’s always great to return to catch up with old friends, make new ones and connect with the wider industry.

Turning my talk on its head, I asked the audience how many of them ate mussels and oysters on a regular basis. Few people raised their hands for consuming them once per week, but around one third of the audience reckoned they ate them at least once per month. Slightly more responders ate mussels than oysters. This was a straw poll but given the nature of the conference and the people attending, it highlighted that much work needs to be done to boost bivalve consumption in the UK – even among the cognoscenti.

Nicki Holmyard at the ASSG conference

Of the reasons for not purchasing, apart from simple dislike, difficulty of purchasing prevented many people from buying fresh shellfish, because so few places sell it.

The demise of fresh fish counters in nearly all the supermarkets in the UK has moved the offer away from fresh mussels in nets, although a minority still stock them. However, retailers have found that selling fresh mussels in sealed MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) packs can be confusing for some customers, despite them being leak-proof and a more travel-friendly option.

Retailers are more likely to sell pre-packed processed and frozen formats, which have gained in popularity over the last decade. And, as convenience becomes more important in retail and foodservice, processed mussels in a variety of sauces takes the hassle away from consumers and simplifies the offering for chefs.

Canned mussels are also taking off in the UK as part of a new trend for snacking, with both craft cannery Sea Sisters, and restaurant / fishmonger chain Rockfish using local mussels in their development work.

Judith Vajk

Oysters sell well at market stalls, in oyster bars and in seafood restaurants, where there is the opportunity to engage with consumers and encourage consumption. Judith Vajk of Caledonian Oysters reports steady sales from her chill box and honesty tin at the end of the drive leading to her oyster farm, with very few incidents of theft.

Tutored opening and tasting sessions for oysters are an ideal way to overcome the barrier of unfamiliarity. Few people ask in a restaurant if they can try one, in case they don’t like it, and embarrass themselves.

Scallops are perhaps the most well-liked bivalve, and chefs and consumers have grown to associate in-shell “diver caught” scallops as the best ones to buy. It all boils down to the power of marketing, but also means paying a premium price.

The majority of scallops are caught in dredges and are sold ready-shucked, but there are a few scallop farms/ranches in Scotland and England, and a small scallop hatchery in Brixham, run by Scallop Ranch.

According to Cefas, in 2022, around 14,000 tonnes of mussels were produced in the UK, 2,564 tonnes of Pacific oysters, 15 tonnes of native oysters, 0.02 tonnes of queenies and five tonnes of king scallops.

Consumer attitudes
Various studies of consumer attitudes to shellfish have shown that the main motivations for eating it are habit, health and taste.

Barriers include price, difficulty of purchase, storage and preparation, unfamiliarity, and concern over contamination and food safety risks, which are often ramped up by the media.

The big question is, do consumers care where shellfish comes from, how it was farmed, or how sustainable it is? Do they really look for sustainability labels? Who do they trust for information?

Producers have to certify their products in order to meet retailer’s demands, but certification is not a guarantee of a price premium, rather it is necessary for market entry.

UK consumers are in general unsophisticated, price driven, and pay lip service to attributes such as quality, country of origin and sustainability. We are very much stuck in our habits when it comes to buying seafood.

The offering in the majority of UK supermarkets or fishmongers pales in comparison with France and Belgium for example, where you can find several different grades of mussels on sale, along with a wide selection of oysters in different sizes, from different regions, and with different finishes.

Addressing consumer concerns about food safety, the Colchester Oyster Fishery recently brought out a new product – Colchester Pyefleet Oysters. These are depurated rock oysters that are first banded, then subjected to HPP (high pressure processing) technology, which guarantees they are norovirus-free. They come pre-shucked in the shell, with meat that is always plump, and a seven-day shelf life.

HPP denatures the adductor muscle, which keeps the oyster closed, so that the shells open and the meat is released with maximum yield. The process has also been scientifically proven to render any virus harmless. HPP is not new, but this is a first for the UK. Will it encourage more consumers to try oysters?

European markets
France, Spain and Belgium are still the mainstays of bivalve shellfish consumption in Europe, where consumers in general still prefer to purchase a fresh product, with a known provenance, but are not afraid to rely on processed options when pushed for time.

As in the UK, there has become less reliance on fishmongers in Europe and more focus on purchase through retailers. There is also more bias towards foodservice, where mussels are a common and popular dish in restaurants – particularly as moules frites – and oysters are cheap and plentiful.

Spain also has a strong traditional focus on canned mussels and frozen meats for incorporating into seafood dishes such as paella.

Spain, Belgium and France have a per capita consumption of mussels of 3.08 kg per year. At home, we eat at least one kilo each per week for quality control purposes, which makes my consumption 52kg per year!

Sea Sisters canned mussels

Attracting the next generation
It’s really important to engage with the next generation if we want them to develop shellfish eating habits. Schools’ programmes are doing a fantastic job in encouraging consumption and Seafood Scotland and the Fishmongers’ Company both sponsor such programmes.

Positive promotion on social media is also powerful tool in this respect. A recent video on TikTok of a young person downing 60 oysters received over two million likes and must go a long way towards removing the fear factor for the uninitiated and encouraging people to try them!