The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) plans to expand on this year’s successful Wild Alaska Pollock Week in Seattle by bringing the program to additional cities, which GAPP hopes will help restaurant markets grappling with the fallout of COVID-19.
GAPP hosted a webinar outlining these plans in July – the seventh webinar in a series of presentations this summer – with GAPP CEO Craig Morris laying out how pollock is especially well-positioned to aid the hard-hit restaurant industry.
"What we’re going to try to do is use some of GAPP’s resources to help some of those in need,” Morris said.
Given that restaurants are facing an “extinction event” due to closures caused by the pandemic, and those that have stayed open have faced a sizable cut in sales, the restaurant industry is in need of all the help it can get.
Morris pointed out issues that restaurants have had in managing their supply chain – especially with perishable items such as seafood – due to the fact that it’s difficult to anticipate ordering needs when a potential shutdown is looming.
Morris credited this year’s Seattle’s Wild Alaska Pollock Week, a partnership that took place in coordination with 29 restaurants this February and March, as an introduction for GAPP to the restaurant sector. Morris said the partnership provided GAPP with a good deal of insight into the industry.
Historically, pollock has faired well in the quick-service restaurant and frozen food category, but it has not traditionally seen sales success translate to casual or white-tablecloth restaurants. The program aimed to “expand the placement [of wild Alaskan pollock] into more fine dining establishments.”
The event was well-received, with positive social media coverage and 90 percent of participants saying their interest in the fish was good or great in a survey. All of the restaurants that participated said they were likely or very likely to feature wild Alaska pollock in the future.
This fall, GAPP hopes to replicate a restaurant week in three cities: Chicago, Minneapolis, and Nashville. The partnership is scheduled for October, which would coincide with National Pescatarian Month, although Morris is realistic about the fact that the coronavirus may result in delays or changes to that plan. To do so, new food service distribution channels will have to be established because while working directly with suppliers succeeded initially in Seattle, it can also hinder the placement of pollock on menus long-term since restaurants prefer to work with their existing suppliers.
As with the restaurant week in Seattle, the pollock will be donated from GAPP member companies such as Aquamar, Trident Seafoods, American Seafoods, and High Liner Foods, in exchange for the restaurant’s participation in the program.
“We’ve got a really good basket of products that we can bring to a restaurant and say, ‘You can either have things that … you can put on your appetizer menu … or if you’re looking for something that your chef can work his magic on, we can give you those blank slates,” Morris said.
Morris said he is especially keen on the use of surimi for restaurants offering takeout since he expects it will perform well through that medium.
Morris said he's also optimistic that Alaskan pollock will serve other markets well in the future. Chefs that GAPP partnered with during the Seattle Wild Alaska Pollock Week have been “gold mines” in teaching GAPP how to talk about their product with restaurants and chefs.
James Beard Award-winning chef Thierry Rautureau, who owns a handful of acclaimed restaurants in Seattle and participated in Seattle’s Wild Alaska Pollock Week, will continue working with GAPP to help it work with restaurants going forward. Chef and food influencer Dan Churchill, who has appeared on MasterChef Australia, will also be working with GAPP.
The affordability of pollock, coupled with the fact that in its frozen form it provides a reliable protein source for restaurants struggling to manage their supply chains amid the pandemic, is expected to be well-received by the restaurant industry, Morris said.
“Margins are going to be a lot tighter than they were before,” Morris said.
It’s also easy for chefs to work with an extremely versatile fish and from the diner’s perspective, research has also shown that customers appreciate the fact that Alaskan pollock is sustainable and wild-caught.
GAPP hopes to gain feedback from the restaurants that participate as well as permanent distribution for its products on restaurant menus, Morris said.
