Consumers’ growing desire for healthy foods and innovative flavors is coming together at a perfect time for the frozen food industry. While sales of frozen foods overall are floundering, sales of natural, organic and healthy frozen foods are on the rise. Irvine, Calif.-based Artisan Bistro, which manufactures organic and natural frozen meals, is taking advantage of that trend with its recent launch of Seafood Bowls, four entrees with seafood, vegetables and starches. To boot, the line uses only Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) seafood and non-GMO ingredients.
SeafoodSource recently caught up with Leo Griffin, CEO of Artisan Bistro, to talk about the line and the company’s seafood sourcing.
Blank: Tell us about the certifications used and the ingredients featured in the new Seafood Bowls line.
Griffin: Artisan Bistro is the first entrée frozen food line in North America to earn MSC Chain of Custody certification. The Seafood Bowls feature wild-caught MSC-certified sustainable seafood, in addition to at least 70 percent organic and non-GMO ingredients. One of the products is Non-GMO Project Verified and we are working on the other three products. Getting non-GMO certification is very demanding and difficult to achieve.
We have been making seafood meals since the inception of the brand. We have always used all sustainably-sourced wild seafood. With the Seafood Bowls – wild Alaskan salmon in Dijon sauce, Italian-style shrimp and penne, New England-style cod fish and orange miso cod fish – we have added wild Alaskan cod and wild U.S. shrimp. We are bringing some new proteins to the market as well as stepping up the certification.
Blank: Why do you use only wild seafood in all your products?
Griffin: We want to use wild because we believe that it is the best for you. Our brand is about great-tasting, great-for-you sustainable food.
Blank: Where do you source your wild seafood and how do you handle higher commodity costs for sustainable and wild seafood?
Griffin: We work primarily with a company called Nepture Foods and Wild Planet for our tuna. Salmon costs move up and down from year to year, but we work very hard to create a great quality product at an affordable price. Over time, we have moved to more forward buying and buy on an annual basis.
Blank: Are your products sold in natural food stores or mainstream supermarkets?
Griffin: Our products are in the majority of natural food stores. The seafood bowls are primarily available in Whole Foods, and we are also talking to Sprouts about them. As consumers are looking for better-for-you and natural meals, conventional grocery stores are stocking more brands like us. We are in about a quarter of grocery stores nationwide.
Blank: Why are natural and organic frozen food sales on the rise?
Griffin: Millennials and Generation Xers – and Baby Boomers, to some extent – are looking for great, healthy products. We are one of a handful of companies that are focused on bringing people back to the frozen aisle and producing products that have great integrity that they know is going to be great for them.
