Soon after the “world’s first” frozen Norwegian salmon vending machine opened in Singapore, many more “ATMs” are on the way, says the founder of the concept.
“We are glad to announce that now people in Singapore can buy Norwegian farmed, premium quality salmon through ‘Norwegian salmon ATMs,'” said Singapore-based Norwegian Salmon PTE Ltd. and Lyng Seafood Asia PTE Ltd., a seafood importer, exporter, and wholesaler, in a post on their joint website. The companies rolled out the first vending machine at Wisteria Mall-Yishun in Singapore on 19 January.
The 200-gram vacuum-packed Norwegian salmon fillets are available for SGD 5.90 (USD 4.35, EUR 3.82) each within the machine.
By the end of March, the salmon vending machines will be available at 50 locations and, by the end of this year, they will be at more than 200 locations throughout the country, Norwegian Salmon PTE Ltd. said.
During a trip to Asia to promote SalMar’s Norwegian farmed salmon more than 10 years ago, Marnish Kumar, founder and CEO of Norwegian Salmon PTE and partner in Lyng Seafood Asia, developed the idea to sell the prized aquaculture product via vending machines.
The vision “obviously did not get any attention back then,” he said on the company’s website. However, Tore Lyng, chairman and partner of Norwegian Salmon PTE and Lyng Seafood Asia, believed in the concept and supported it financially, according to Kumar.
While Norway-based SalMar is not yet supplying the Norwegian salmon fillets, “hopefully, soon, we will start regular supplies of ‘ATM portions’ from them,” Kumar told SeafoodSource. “SalMar is excited,” he added. Kumar did not say which Norwegian salmon farmer is supplying the fillets.
It is too early to say how much salmon the company expects to sell via vending machines, according to Kumar.
Developing the Norwegian salmon ATM is motivated “purely by the mindset of serving people with premium quality, Norwegian farmed salmon through time and cost-effective solutions,” Kumar said.
