More U.S. restaurant chains and retailers are utilizing shrimp and other fish in their seafood specials during Lent, and Alaska pollock is gaining popularity.
Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) CEO Craig Morris told SeafoodSource he’s predicting the 2023 Lenten season will be a banner year for the species.
“I think wild Alaska pollock sales this year will exceed those of Lent last year,” GAPP. More than half of GAPP’s 15 partnerships are deployed during the Lenten season.
“Soon we will release our annual per capita consumption numbers, and last year saw a significant jump in U.S. demand for Wild Alaska pollock fillet products like these Lent LTOs,” Morris said. “I’m excited to see with our increased production this year how much we improve on even those strong numbers from last year.”
One of the most notable examples is convenience store chain 7-Eleven, which recently brought back the Alaska pollock fish sandwich it featured during the 2022 Lenten season.
Via a partnership with GAPP, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Trident Seafoods is supplying the fish for the sandwiches, the company's vice president of communications, Alexis Telfer, confirmed to SeafoodSource. The sandwich features garlic- and herb-flavored Alaska pollock fillet topped with American cheese and tartar sauce and served on a brioche bun.
"Trident Seafoods, Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, and 7-Eleven doing what we do best: partnering to bring healthy, sustainable, low-carbon footprint protein to consumers," Telfer wrote on LinkedIn.
Major national restaurant chains are also utilizing pollock this year. Wendy’s is bringing back its Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich, which is a wild-caught Alaskan pollock fillet coated in crispy panko breading, per Chew Boom. The nationwide restaurant chain began selling the sandwich on 20 February for a limited time.
Columbus, Ohio-based White Castle is utilizing Alaska pollock in its Fish Nibblers and Panko Fish Sliders year-round. For Lent, the restaurant chain is bringing back its Shrimp Nibblers. and debuting Sriracha Shrimp Nibblers. The shareable, restaurant chain said the bite-sized butterfly shrimp are available at participating locations through 9 April.
Multiple other GAPP partners are engaged in pollock promotions, including Whitestone, New York-based Restaurant Depot, which has chefs offering customers samples of a variety of pollock dishes, including surimi-based products and beer-battered fillets. Upscale retailer and GAPP partner Nordstrom, based in Seattle, Washington, is also promoting pollock with two new Alaska pollock products in March and April: Blackened Wild Alaska Pollock & Potato Chowder in Nordstrom restaurants, and Blackened Wild Alaska Pollock Taco Salad at Nordstorm Specialty cafes.
However, restaurants are seeking out more than just pollock for Lenten promotions this year, with multiple companies using shrimp or other species.
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.-based Church’s Chicken is rolling out a new eight-piece Butterfly Shrimp Meal and a Shrimp and Tenders Meal, which includes four shrimp and two tenders. In addition to the new shrimp meals, Church’s regular menu includes a variety of fish meals, including the Fish Sandwich, a Fish Platter complete with two fish filets, and the Fish & Shrimp Meal with one fish filet and four shrimp.
Lake Forest, California, U.S.A.-based Del Taco, which it says is the nation’s second-largest Mexican quick service restaurant, is bringing back Crispy Jumbo Shrimp Tacos and several other dishes.
“Our guests look forward to the return of our Crispy Jumbo Shrimp Tacos every year, and this year we’re delivering our Del Taco Better Mex brand promise with our new smooth and savory Buttery Garlic Parmesan sauce in addition to our classic Baja style secret sauce,” Del Taco Chief Marketing Officer Tim Hackbardt said.
In addition to Crispy Jumbo Shrimp, Del Taco is offering a Buttery Garlic Parmesan Crispy Jumbo Shrimp Taco, and a Buttery Garlic Parmesan Stuffed Quesadilla Jumbo Shrimp Taco.
Irving, Texas, U.S.A.-based Fuzzy’s Taco Shop added a Margarita Shrimp Taco to its menu for a limited time. The Margarita Shrimp Taco is prepared with fried or grilled shrimp, Tajin garlic sauce, green cabbage, fresh lime crema, and a margarita-tomatillo pico.
Miami, Florida-based Popeyes is bringing back its Flounder Fish Sandwich and the Shrimp Tackle Box for a limited time, the fast food chain said. The sandwich, available in the U.S. and Canada, was introduced in 2021 and now comes in both classic or spicy varieties.
Orlando, Florida-based Miller’s Ale House, which operates more than 100 locations, is promoting some of its regular menu items – including English pub beer-battered white fish and chips, fried shrimp with coleslaw, Atlantic salmon, and mahi tacos – during Lent, the restaurant chain said in an email to SeafoodSource.
Meanwhile, Denver, Colorado-based Modern Market, which has 30 locations and specializes in creating made-from-scratch meals, is promoting its standard menu items including a Curry Salmon Bowl made with sustainable salmon and Niçoise featuring line-caught ahi tuna.
Photo courtesy of Fuzzy's Taco Shop
