Recognizing that more British consumers will eat in for Valentine’s Day this year to save money, all the major grocery chains are running great seafood specials, including meals and recipe ideas.
For example, Marks & Spencer is highlighting several of its prepared seafood dishes as part of its “Valentine’s Day Dine in for Two for GBP 20 (USD 30.78)” promotion. Shoppers can choose from one of several starters, including scallops with pea and mint puree and thai fishcakes, as well as one of several entrees, such as two whole sea bass with coriander and red chilli butter and queen scallop topped Scottish trout parcels.
Likewise, Tesco’s “Love is Dinner For Two” promotion highlights several discounted chilled seafood items including Tesco finest smoked salmon 300g for GBP 6 (USD 9.24) and cuisine and ocean brand whole blanched lobster 350g for GBP 8 (USD 12.32). In addition, Tesco is featuring several seafood recipes, including sea bass with a chili and lime glaze and moules mariniere with Fennel (a mussels dish), on its web site for Valentine’s Day.
Morrison’s “Dine in for 2 for GBP 15 (USD 23.10)" promotion features skinless salmon fillets as one of the main entrees that shoppers can choose. Sainsbury is also offering a “Valentine’s Meal Deal for GBP 15 (USD 23.10)” that includes its sea bass fillets with ginger and lime butter.
Meanwhile, ASDA discounted several seafood items for the week, including Young’s salmon fillets for three for GBP 10 (USD 15.40) and ASDA cod fillets for at two for GBP 7 (USD 10.78).
There is quite a demand in the U.K. for seafood meals shoppers can eat at home this Valentine’s Day. In a recent survey, Seafish found that 35 percent of British consumers would consider serving seafood dishes as part of a romantic meal.
Plus, 39 percent of those surveyed said they would select lobster as a romantic Valentine's Day meal. Another 30 percent said that scallops are a romantic Valentine’s Day dish and 19 percent said sweet crab.
In fact, more shoppers are buying seafood year-round to prepare at home. Retail sales of oysters, for example, spiked 325 percent in 2014, according to AC Nielsen data. Likewise, lobster sales rose 145 percent in 2014, while elegant scallops sales rose 97 percent and sweet crab sales rose 64 percent, according to AC Nielsen.
