In a twist from previous Alaska Symphony of Seafood winners, this year’s grand prize winner is a manufacturer of salmon dog treats and salmon oil.
Anchorage, Alaska-based Arctic Paws took home the top prize at the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) final Symphony of Seafood competition in Juneau, Alaska, on 21 February for its Yummy Chummies Dog Treats. The line of treats are made with Alaska salmon, cod and halibut.
The dog treats were part of a new category for the competition — Beyond the Plate — that showcases products made from fish waste or by-products of primary processing. “We have highly successful co-products being produced out of Alaska seafood, which is demonstrated by the fact that Yummy Chummies received the highest overall score for the Grand Prize,” said Julie Decker, executive director of AFDF. “The Beyond the Plate category was a big success and we intend to continue with this category in the future.”
The first place winners in each category were: Copper River Seafoods’ Fisherman Favorites Zesty Grill Wild Alaska Cod Portions in the retail category; Pickled Willys’ Smoked Black Cod Tips in the foodservice catgory; and Tilgner’s Ruby Red Sockeye Salmon Chips in the smoked category. Meanwhile, the People’s Choice winner, awarded to the product that received the most votes based on the attendees’ votes at each venue, was Pickled Willys’ Smoked Black Cod Tips.
“This competition has exposed our product to so many people and we are excited to present it at Seafood Expo North America,” said Barbara Hughes, co-owner of Pickled Willys.
The first place winners from each category, along with the grand prize winner, receive booth space at Seafood Expo North America & Seafood Processing North America in March, as well as airfare to and from the show in Boston.
The judges of this year’s competition included: Karl Uri and Alex Oliveira with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Daphne Styles and Kai Raymond with Tom Douglas Restaurants, Richard Mullins with NAIA Natural Products, Sarah Wong with Seattle Colleges, John Fiorillo with Intrafish Media and Matthew Lasof with Farestart.
