South Australia-based Eyre Peninsula Seafoods is aiming to significantly increase its export of mussels throughout Southeast Asia and China.
Created in 2016 through the merger of three premium mussel brands – Kinkawooka Shellfish, Boston Bay Mussels, and Spencer Gulf Mussels – the company has experienced significant growth over the past three years, enabling it to begin a concerted push to market its products in Asia, according to Eyre Peninsula Seafoods Executive Director Andrew Puglisi.
“As the South Australian Mussel brand develops, this will also create a growing awareness for the region and will have an influence on assisting to grow the international recognition for the region as a seafood capital,” he said in a press release. “The aspiration, of course, is to create the awareness and recognition of South Australia as a premium mussel appellation, which can be used across all markets.”
The company recently opened a multimillion-dollar production facility in Port Lincoln, Australia, allowing it to increase production from 2,000 metric tons (MT) per year up to 3,500 MT. The new facility has made Eyre Peninsula Seafoods the largest mussel-farming operation in Australia and gives it the volume necessary to meet the demands of the Asia region as well as to consider expansion into the United States and Europe, Puglisi said.
“With the Kinkawooka brand now in both Woolworths and Coles; and with a lion share of the domestic Foodservice business, this market expansion is a logical progression for EPS,” Puglisi said. “The push into Asia will allow EPS to keep expanding the business, creating more jobs and opportunities in the emerging aquaculture sector. This is an exciting development for an exciting and forward-looking business.”
Eyre Peninsula Seafoods has partnered with Thomas Cappo Seafoods, a leader in Australian premium food distribution, to assist its expansion into Asia. Puglisi said the partnership will allow his company to take advantage of Thomas Cappo Seafoods’ “networks and relationships built up over many years, especially in China, where relationship marketing is the primary demand for market entry.”
Thomas Cappo Seafoods Principal Damian Cappo said Eyre Peninsula Seafoods has a great opportunity to stand out with a premium product in China.
“The message of the provenance and quality of South Australian mussels is a huge selling point of difference,” he said. “On top of that, it creates an opportunity to move into Europe and the U.S., [which] have their own blue mussel industries that are not in season while the South Australian mussel is. This could allow year-round supply of blue mussels to those markets.”
But gaining a foothold in China is not easy, Cappo warned.
“[Importing] anything into China is difficult because you’re competing globally, but it’s about getting on the ground and understanding the product, the requirements and matching with the correct customer channels and constantly massaging and educating so people understand the product and its value.”
Eyre Peninsula Seafoods is also working closely with Fishtales Seafood Strategy to help market its South Australian Mussels in the China and Southeast Asian markets. Owner John Susman said the provenance and growth story of Eyre Peninsula Seafoods’ South Australian Blue Mussels (Mytillus galloprovinicialis) will be major selling points.
“The provenance of the mussels is a major platform from which the mussels are sold. The cold,unpolluted environment resonates with Asian consumers,” Susman said.
Photo courtesy of Eyre Peninsula Seafoods
