East Coast Seafood | Salt & Sky
Teamwork really paid off for Topsfield, Massachusetts-based supplier East Coast Seafood Group on 17 March, 2019, when the company’s Lobster Macaroni & Cheese Bites won the 2019 Seafood Excellence Award for “Best New Foodservice” product.
Accepting the award for the company – which is the world’s largest distributor of live and frozen North American lobster – a spokesperson for East Coast Seafood noted the collaborative approach to innovation that fueled the product’s creation.
"It’s been a great team effort for the item, and we’re extremely happy,” East Coast Seafood said in March.
A creamy mixture of macaroni and a blend of Parmesan, asiago, and mozzarella cheeses, with in a crunchy golden-brown coating, East Coast’s Lobster Macaroni & Cheese Bites product was selected for the Seafood Excellence Award from a group of finalists during a live judging by a panel of seafood buyers and industry experts from the retail and foodservice industries. The 2019 judges included Ben Newlin, senior culinary operations specialist for The Cheesecake Factory; Mark Hogan, director of center of the plate with SGC Foodservice; and Josanna Busby, category manager, seafood, sidecase, frozen meats and seafood for Food Lion.
The company has gone on to commercialize the award-winning Lobster Mac & Cheese bites into club and retail channels, which is hitting shelves in the United States and Mexico, under the Salt & Sky brand later this year.
Included in the brand’s offerings are a Lobster Macaroni Three Cheese Blend, Tuscan Shrimp and Baja Shrimp Flatbreads, Scallops with Wild Mushrooms and Gnocchi, and a new steam bag product, Shrimp & Rice Noodles with Bok Choy and Edamame and Shrimp & Mussels with Brown Rice and Chorizo.
Modern consumer interests and increased demand for value-added seafood products with “expansive flavor profiles and new consumption opportunities, mirroring shifting attitudes across all food categories,” has contributed strongly to Salt & Sky’s ongoing product developments, said Christina Ferranti-Clift, director of marketing for East Coast Seafood Group.
The company was pleased to note to SeafoodSource that its new steam bag technology hits on many consumer touchpoints, including cooking method, trending health concerns, and sustainable packaging. Salt & Sky’s new steam bags offer a steam cooking method, which keeps the seafood incredibly moist while infusing the flavors throughout the entire dish. The steam bag is almost half paper, as compared to a traditional plastic pouch and the two flavor offerings are gluten-free.
“These new steam bags are incredible in terms of taste, hands down they are delicious,” said Steve Musser, senior vice president of sales and marketing for East Coast Seafood.
“We’re proud of our longstanding commitment to the food service sector and are now seeking the same strong relationship with consumers in retail and club channels,” said Musser. “As we continue to develop additional product lines for Salt & Sky, we’ll be pairing incredible flavor profiles for a variety of lobster, scallops, shrimp and fish concepts. Taste will be the unwavering gatekeeper. Real taste for real families – it’s a home run for everyone.”
Photo courtesy of East Coast Seafood Group
