Deutsche See GmbH, one of Europe’s leading producers of convenient seafood products, has returned to the barbeque category to deliver two new leaf-wrapped fish fillet concepts.
“Tilapiafilet im Bananenblatt” and “Pangasiusfilet im Bananenblatt,” as the new products are known in the German retail market, comprise tilapia and pangasius fillets wrapped in banana leafs.
Last year, the German seafood giant ran away with the Seafood Prix d’Elite new product competition at the European Seafood Exposition, winning both the best retail product and a special award for convenience with its Salmon in Wooden Leaf.
Specially developed for the barbeque, Deutsche See’s “Fisch im Grillblatt” product consists of a salmon fillet seasoned with barbeque marinade, wrapped in a thin beech wood leaf and garnished with a lime slice and a bay leaf. This range also includes a pangasius fillet presented in the same format.
Since scooping the awards, Deutsche See has focused on building the product’s profile in the German domestic, but according to company spokesperson Holger Bockholt, an extension into other markets is planned for the near future.
The assortment has done very well in its first year, Bockholt told SeafoodSource.
“The product has since been presented at several trade fairs and tastings,” he said. “It has established its position in the market and is showing good sales figures.”
Perhaps more importantly Fisch im Grillblatt has encouraged more German consumers to barbeque fish.
“The inherent easy preparation style of grill friendly items has made that product range appear more attractive than ever,” said Bockholt. “Traditionally, barbequers would grill whole, skin-on fish. But we created a comfortable way of putting delicate fillets on a grill that have the added advantage of easy handling. Additionally, the wooden leaf enhances the taste and delivers an aromatic flair.”
While it is impossible to ascertain to what extent the awards contributed to the success of the product, Deutsche See is rightly proud of its success in the competition and for being recognized for delivering a gastronomical experience.
“These accolades give us the opportunity to stress our abilities in terms of innovations and competence. Furthermore, it underlines the performance of our development and production facilities,” said Bockholt. “Our product engineers are constantly working on effective product innovation themes. Their approach to convenience food is to develop natural products that can be prepared in a gentle way.”
The company is now working on new convenience compositions for this winter.
The finalists for the 2010 Seafood Prix d’Elite were announced last month, and the winners will be unveiled during the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels, Belgium, on 27 April.
