Dutch plant-based faux seafood specialist Novish hopes make a splash during its debut September 23-25 in the United States at the Natural Products Expo East in Philadelphia.
“We’re excited to bring European-quality products with a winning combination of taste, texture and affordability that will be appealing to the American market,” said Maiko van der Meer, co-founder of Breda, Netherlands-based Novish.
The former chief executive officer of Klaas Paul, a North Sea shrimp and frozen fish supplier, and the Mowi Consumer Products seafood brand, has successfully pivoted from heading marine products companies to the plant-based alternative seafood market. In in just over a year the Novish brand has become available in 15 countries including Israel, Hong Kong and Canada.
“After extensive R&D, we’ve developed a product line that people – from foodies to top chefs – regard as indistinguishable from the real thing,” said Van der Meer, explaining Novish’s exponential growth.
The brand has an established following through 300 locations of the largest pan-European fish restaurant chain Nordsee, and has been listed by the Compass Group, a global foodservice management company, and at Metro/Makro Wholesale, one of the world’s largest wholesalers. The company also recently signed a contract with leading UK online retailer Ocado for its plant-based faux fish fingers and burgers.
With the alt-meat sector expected to top $8 billion in value by 2025, Novish plans to seek Series B funding in the near future to finance its entrance into the US foodservice, retail and wholesale market sectors.
Billing itself as a supplier of sustainable and healthy products, Novish’s line of fishless sticks, bites, burgers, chunks, fillets and tuna is devoid of seven of the “Top 8” allergens (soy, eggs, milk, nuts, peanuts, fish and shellfish), as well as free from palm oil and artificial additives such as flavor enhancers, colorings and preservatives.
