Christine Blank

Contributing Editor

Christine Blank, a veteran freelance writer and editor, covers all aspects of the seafood industry, from fishing to processing to selling and serving the final product. When she is not writing for SeafoodSource, Christine gets to taste scrumptious seafood dishes at U.S. restaurants for her food and travel blog, Flavorful Excursions (www.flavorfulexcursions.net). Christine loves to eat seafood of any kind, but lobster, crab and crawfish are among her favorites. In addition to SeafoodSource.com and SeaFood Business, Christine’s articles have been published in hundreds of leading magazines and newspapers, such as The New York Times, USA Today and Associated Press.

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Author Archive

Published on
September 28, 2023

Leeds, United Kingdom-based grocery chain Asda is seeking new buyers as it introduces a new operating model at its corporate office.

“The change is part of Asdas ongoing transformation to ensure it has the right structures, technology, and people skills in place to support its long-term ambition to become the U.K.s second-largest grocery retailer,” the operator of more than 630 stores in the country said.

As part of the

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Published on
September 27, 2023

Hy-Vee is joining other large U.S. grocery chains in initiating a search for new food suppliers, particularly minority- and women-owned businesses.

The West Des Moines, Iowa U.S.A.-based operator of more than 285 stores in the U.S. states of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin is hosting its next quarterly Best of Local Brands Summit on 8 November.

Hy-Vee is accepting submissions for the

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Published on
September 27, 2023

U.K. retailer Aldi achieved a new sales record in 2022, and its competitor Tesco announced it will price-match more than 600 staple products on a wide range of food items.

Not long after announcing it would open 500 additional stores in the U.K., Aldi said its annual sales increased by nearly GBP 2 billion (USD 2.4 billion, EUR 2.3 billion) to reach GBP 15.5 billion (USD 19.9 billion, EUR 17.8 billion) in 2022 – a new record in its 33-year

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Published on
September 26, 2023

Executives at New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A.-based Prime Shrimp are on a mission to popularize at-home shrimp consumption across America by emphasizing their products’ convenience, high quality, and flavor.

Fresh off the launch of six frozen shrimp products 18 months ago, the shrimp processor and packager recently rolled out its newest flavor: New Orleans-style BBQ. The company is attempting to coax consumers who prioritize convenience

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Published on
September 25, 2023

U.S. restaurant giant Darden’s sales soared in its fiscal first quarter, driven by its acquisition of Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse restaurants and other factors.

The Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.-based operator of Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, The Capital Grille, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, and other restaurant chains also realized savings from lower food and beverage costs.

Darden’s total sales in its Q1 2024 soared 11.6

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Published on
September 25, 2023

Luke’s Lobster, Get Maine Lobster, and several other retailers and restaurants are offering specials throughout the week in recognition of National Lobster Day on 25 September and Maine Lobster Week.

“This is the third year of Maine Lobster Week and we have been getting more restaurants each year,” Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative (MLMC) Executive Director Marianne LaCroix told SeafoodSource. “It gives an

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Published on
September 22, 2023

Horace Dawson has been appointed as the CEO of Red Lobster, filling the role after more than a year of vacancy.  

The restaurant chain, headquartered in Orlando, Florida U.S.A., was purchased in 2020 by Thai Union, Red Lobster management, and an investor group named the Seafood Alliance, which jointly announced Dawson's appointment.  

Dawson has served

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Published on
September 22, 2023

U.K. grocery inflation dropped to its lowest level in more than a year, but consumers said they remain concerned about the prices they are paying for food, as well as the economy overall.

Grocery price inflation declined from 12.7 percent in July to 12.2 percent in August, according to the latest data from Kantar. In response, take-home sales from all grocery chains rose by 7.4 percent compared with the same period in 2022.

August followed the

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Published on
September 22, 2023

Two U.S. grocery chains have upped their seafood soup offerings in anticipation of the fall season.

Monrovia, California, U.S.A.-based Trader Joe’s, which operates 543 stores across the U.S., recently added a refrigerated lobster bisque to its lineup, along with frozen garlic and shrimp flatbread and fresh sesame miso salad with salmon, as part of its private-label brand.

“Our mission is to bring our customers the best quality

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Published on
September 20, 2023

The U.S. government has recently ramped up its seafood purchases for federal school lunch programs across the country, a marked change in its previous practice.

In 2023 alone, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has purchased significant amounts of Alaska pollock, haddock, sockeye salmon, pink salmon, catfish, Pacific shrimp, and Pacific rockfish. And it announced an additional solicitation for up to to 16,720 cases of canned pink salmon for

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