Salmaraw from Salmon Brands of Oslo, Norway, was named the best new retail product during the 15th annual Seafood Prix d’Elite new products competition at Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, Belgium. The grand prize winner, selected among a field of 37 finalists from 11 countries, was announced at a special reception on April 21.
Salmaraw is a ready-to-eat sashimi kit that serves up 90 grams of sliced salmon with sachets of ponzu sauce and sesame seeds, and comes with a specially designed eating utensil. It is presented in an airtight and leak-proof pack that attractively displays and preserves the high quality of the fish.
In addition to the grand prize, the judges also gave five special awards:
Salmaraw was a double winner for Salmon Brands, as it also took the Seafood Prix d’Elite special award for originality. The presentation of the salmon sashimi kit in a long tray is unique and elegant, yet still allows consumers to eat the product directly from the package. This combination makes it well positioned for consumers who are looking for healthy take-away meals.
The Big Prawn Company of Melton Constable, England, was awarded the Seafood Prix d’Elite special award for convenience for its Seafood Rarebit product. A seafood take on a classic Welsh dish, this frozen retail item offers two pastry cases filled with king prawns and topped with a sauce flavored with English cheddar cheese, mustard and spices. The topping melts down over the prawns and into the pastry during cooking. Positioned as ideal for a light lunch or part of a main meal, the product provides consumers an easy way to enjoy seafood.
The Big Prawn Company was also presented the Seafood Prix d’Elite special award for retail packaging for its 2 Crayfish Thermidor Bakes product. Designed for special holiday occasions, it features twin ramekins filled with crayfish tails in a creamy thermidor sauce flavored with white wine, shallots and mustard, then topped with a ciabatta grand padano cheese breadcrumb. The package is designed with full-color photos of the prepared dish and a clear window to see the ramekins, which are covered with clear plastic domes. It provides complete information for the consumer on nutrition, ingredients, product origin, preparation, and package disposal.
The Seafood Prix d’Elite special prize for health and nutrition was awarded to Marine Harvest of Brugge, Belgium, for Duo Norvégien au Four. The naturally healthy combination of cod wrapped in thinly sliced salmon is packed in an oven-ready aluminum tray and gives consumers an easy way to serve an elegant seafood preparation at home.
Lastly, Rockabill Shellfish Limited of Balbriggan, Ireland, was presented with a special award for its “Something Fishy” range of seafood infused butters. Offered in Sweet Onion, Dulse and Asian Infusion flavors, the products combine Irish butter with freeze-dried and milled seafood protein, dried seaweed and seasonings. The result is a culinary butter that provides the savory deliciousness of “umami” to both enhance and complete the flavors of prepared dishes. They can be used to flavor sauces, finish risottos, pastas and rice dishes, or to spread over seafood before or after cooking.
No Best New Foodservice Prize
At the discretion of the judges, no award was issued this year for best new foodservice product. Although they noted some positive aspects of the products entered in the category, it was felt that in many cases the information provided by entrants was incomplete, and therefore it was not possible to choose an overall winner in the category.
Judges for the 2015 Seafood Prix d’Elite new products competition were Debby Verheyen, a seafood product expert at Delhaize Supermarkets in Belgium; Thibault Faucon, supply chain manager for Sodexo in Luxemburg; Filip Keersmaekers, seafood category manager for Makro & Metro Cash & Carry in Belgium; Ian Nottage, chef director with Reynold’s Catering Supply in the UK; and Dominique Fenech, national director of seafood purchasing for Monoprix in France. Ms. Verheyen served as chairperson of the jury.
The Seafood Prix d’Elite finalists were judged on taste and overall eating experience, packaging, marketability, convenience, nutritional value and originality. The judges’ scores were verified by the Ernst & Young accounting firm.
About the Show
Formerly named the European Seafood Exposition and Seafood Processing Europe, Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global form the world’s largest seafood trade event. Produced by Portland, Maine, USA-headquartered Diversified Communications. Thousands of buyers and suppliers from around the world attend the annual, three-day exposition in Brussels to meet, network and conduct business.
