Lobster sales spiked in the United Kingdom over the Easter holiday, according to new data.
Retailers realized a massive 83 percent uptick in lobster sales during Easter, representing more than 6,700 kilograms sold, Seafish reported.
“The huge growth in lobster is a surprise, with a small but growing number of shoppers choosing what can be a premium and more expensive seafood choice. It’s exciting for the industry,” said Suzanne Pegg, market analyst for Seafish, in a press release.
Total seafood sales for the holiday reached GBP 128 million (USD 171 million, EUR 146 million). Coldwater prawns saw a 13 percent bump in sales, and U.K. consumers ate an extra 90,000 kilograms of cod. Salmon, tuna, pollock, and haddock all performed extremely well, according to Seafish.
“Rising prices have led to a slight reduction in how much people are willing to buy, and 2017 was a record year for seafood at Easter,” Pegg said. “This year we saw a slight drop in sales value in the Easter fortnight, but a total of GBP 128 million spent on seafood still makes it the second-largest sales figure since 2015.”
Since 2015, sales by volume have dropped by 1.99 million tons, primarily due to the rise in price per kilogram, according to Seafish.
