The Boston Smoked Fish Company is setting its sights on online sales and other grocery operators, after successfully expanding distribution of its hot-smoked filets and pâtés at Whole Foods Market stores in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
The Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based company differentiates itself from other smoked seafood companies by focusing exclusively on hot-smoking, which imparts a cooked texture to the fish and gives it a distinctive bacon-like umami.
The Boston Smoked Fish products available in Whole Foods’ seafood departments include: The Simply Smoked, Norwegian Atlantic Salmon smoke-roasted over pecan and cherry wood; Salmon Pate, which includes pieces of Simply Smoked salmon that are hand-folded into a light pâté made with lemon juice and chopped dill; and Salmon Bacon, made from the salmon belly.
Boston Smoked began distribution of its products at Roche Brothers stores in Massachusetts in 2015. Now, its products are in eight grocery chains, including Wegmans and Haggen’s, and more than 100 small specialty stores.
Next, the smoked salmon supplier plans on growing online sales via Amazon and its website, Matt Baumann, co-founder of Boston Smoked, told SeafoodSource.
“Our online store is a focus of development for 2020. Currently it makes up less than one percent of our overall sales. We plan to make the proper investments in this platform to increase online sales in 2020 and beyond,” Baumann said.
While Boston Smoked was a part of Amazon's Amazon Fresh program at its inception in 2016, Amazon discontinued the model after about two years, according to Baumann.
“Amazon's traditional e-commerce platform is an opportunity we plan to explore,” Baumann said. “In 2020, as we focus on developing our online store, we will also realize efficiencies of direct-to-consumer shipping logistics which will help us prepare to meet the demands of pursuing e-commerce growth through Amazon.”
Grocery chains, which sell Boston Smoked Fish’s products under their own label and its label, have been the primary focus of the supplier’s business the past few years, Baumann said.
“We have enjoyed overwhelming success in this area and will continue to pursue expansion heading into the future. We are actively pursuing private label opportunities with some of the nation's largest retailers,” he said.
Boston Smoked has also begun to emphasize its products’ utilization in foodservice.
“Our products are so versatile on a restaurant or catering menu and come ready-to-serve,” Baumann said.
Boston Smoked recently launched Smoked Steelhead Pâté, co-branded with Row34, a popular seafood restaurant in Boston that is part of the Island Creek Oyster Company.
“The product is a collaboration between us, Row34, and the University of New Hampshire, where the steelhead trout are grown,” Baumann said.
Photo courtesy of Boston Smoked Fish Company
