Miami, Florida, U.S.A.-headquartered Verlasso, Aquachile’s premium brand, has partnered with the Miami Open and local sushi restaurant Omakai to showcase its salmon at the event.
The annual professional tennis tournament is held in Miami Gardens, Florida, and runs this year from 16 to 30 March. Omakai is hosting a pop up hand roll bar throughout the event, which prominently features Verlasso salmon, the popular restaurant’s official salmon partner.
"Our salmon is raised in the untouched waters of Patagonia, where the cold, nutrient-rich Humboldt Current gives it that rich, buttery flavor and smooth texture consumers love," said Verlasso Brand Manager Martin Cox.
He added that Verlasso salmon is "both naturally rich in Omega-3s and essential nutrients, making it both nourishing and delicious."
Omakai has been serving Verlasso salmon for over a year, and Cox said that the partnership was a strong and growing one. "OMAKAI’s dedication to crafting incredible sushi complements our commitment to premium quality. Our partnership has grown into a collaboration we’re excited to expand— with more events coming up like the Formula 1 Miami."
Omakai CEO Diego Quijada said that he was "happy to be back at the Miami Open this year with an even more meaningful presence. Our partnership [with Verlasso] has continued to grow, and we’re thrilled to see the incredible response to our hand roll bar pop-up, which is a brand new addition to the event. It’s a great opportunity to bring the same high-quality fish and experience that our guests enjoy at our restaurants to one of Miami’s most iconic sporting events.”
Aquachile launched Verlasso in 2011 with the goal of raising sustainable Atlantic salmon, and was the first farmed Atlantic salmon to be rated as a “good alternative” by the Monteray Bay Seafood Watch program in 2013 (Seafood Watch no longer rates individual companies, now issuing its recommendations based on the species, method, and location of production). The brand achieved carbon neutrality in 2022.
The company grew rapidly after its founding, and in 2013 the it became the exclusive provider of salmon for Brooklyn, N.Y.-based smoked producer and distributor Acme Smoked Fish, and was adopted by more than 400 chefs in the U.S., especially in the Midwest and South, supplied by Kentucky-based Bluefin Seafoods.
On the company’s tenth anniversary, Commercial Director Vincente de la Cruz said that “Verlasso was born as an Atlantic salmon brand with unique characteristics for the North American market. This ultra-premium salmon has become one of the favorites for chefs and consumers thanks to its flavor, and for being a sustainable, healthy product, rich in omega-3.”
Verlasso has long courted innovative promotional opportunities. In 2018 the company produced a documentary short film about big wave surf champion Jamie Mitchell’s journey to learn about farmed salmon, and in 2019, U.S. celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern partnered with the brand to showcase its sustainable salmon production methods.
More recently, the brand has teamed up with social media influencers, often U.S.-based chefs, to promote the unique features of their salmon and farming processes.
Omakai also appears to partner frequently with Miami-based influencers, and numerous content creators had posted about the Verlasso and Omakai partnership as of 27 March.
