Winners Wow Symphony of Seafood in Seattle
Wild Caught Alaska Salmon with Ribbon Kelp Chimichurri by Peter Pan Seafood won the top prize in the retail category at the Symphony of Seafood.
AFDF
Salmon and Kelp
The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) announced winners in the three main categories: retail products, food service products, and “Beyond the Plate,” which can include pet products, nutritional supplements, or inedible applications.
The top choice for retail is Peter Pan Seafood’s Wild Caught Alaska Salmon with Ribbon Kelp Chimichurri. First place for the food service category is Ocean Beauty Seafoods’ Grill House Burger made from pink salmon. And the Beyond the Plate winner is Trident Seafoods’ Pure Catch – Wild Alaska Omega-3 Triple Strength supplement capsules.
The two special awards announced at the Pacific Salmon Expo were the Seattle People’s Choice and Bristol Bay Choice, selected by Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA) for sockeye salmon products. Attendees at an open house in Seattle chose Barnacle Foods’ Kelp Chili Crisp sauce. The choice of BBRSDA was individually pouched Wild Salmon Chowder made by Thunder’s Catch of Sandpoint, Idaho.
The competition enlisted chefs, seafood writers, seafood buyers, and other industry experts to pick the best new Alaska seafood products of the year. In Seattle, the judges tasted and scored all the products based on packaging and presentation, overall eating experience, price, and potential for commercial success.
This year’s expert panel of judges included Molly Brown of Holland America Line; Rosa Luquin and Michael Mills of Sysco; David Glass of Big Max Burger Company and Eden Hill Hospitality; Nick Novello of Miner’s Landing/Pier 57 restaurant in Seattle; BT Thompson of food distributor Rogge; Kimberly Valverde of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute; Daniela Klimsova of BBRSDA; and Cynthia Nims of the Mon Appetit food blog.
Next Juneau, Then Boston
Wild Salmon Chowder made by Thunder’s Catch is the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association’s special choice for best sockeye product.
AFDF
Still to be named are the 2nd and 3rd place selections in the three categories and four more special awards: the Grand Prize, Salmon Choice, Whitefish Choice, and Juneau People’s Choice. Those will be announced February 23 at the Symphony Awards Ceremony and UFA Legislative Reception in Juneau, co-hosted with the United Fisherman of Alaska (UFA).
The grand prize winner and each category winner receive booth space at the Seafood Expo North America in Boston in March, plus transportation provided by Alaska Air Cargo. Symphony winners are also entered into the expo’s Seafood Excellence Awards. New this year, all entrants who are interested will also receive initial consulting services with the AFDF Startup Accelerator (formerly the Alaska Ocean Cluster), which could also lead to incorporation into their portfolio of startups.
The Alaska Symphony of Seafood is an annual competition for new value-added products made from Alaska seafood. The goal of the Symphony is to encourage innovation through product development. The symphony is AFDF’s main marketing tool, aimed at diversifying markets, increasing utilization of ocean products, and keeping seafood relevant to consumers.
Making History
The track of oil and gas development in Alaska shows the footprints of bold companies and hard-working individuals who shaped the industry in the past and continue to innovate today. The May 2024 issue of Alaska Business explores that history while looking forward to new product development, the energy transition for the fishing fleet, and the ethics of AI tools in business.