Two French companies have won the 2024 Seafood Excellence Global Awards, taking home the top honors in their respective categories on 23 April.
Cancale, France-based Parcs Saint Kerber won the award for Best Retail Product for its Oysters Trio Saint Kerber – a single retail box featuring three different types of oysters. Loctudy, France-based Algolesko won the Best Hotel/Restaurant/Catering (HORECA) award for its Wakame Pickles – a versatile product that offers chefs an innovative way to add seaweed to their menus.
The awards, which celebrate the industry’s best new seafood products, were announced at a special reception in Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue in Barcelona, Spain, during the annual Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global show.
A total of 85 products were submitted for this year’s competition, with the 40 finalists – announced in March – hailing from 15 countries.
The final 40 products were evaluated by a group of judges comprising representatives from retailers from around the world, including Raul Cervera, the seafood purchasing manager of Spanish retailer La Sirena; Jonathan Rotge, the seafood purchasing manager of French retailer CORA; Paula Merrigan, the head of purchasing of U.K. retailer Snowfox Group; and Juergen Pauly, the seafood purchasing manager at German retailer Globus, the latter of whom chaired the jury. The judges scored every product on taste, as well as overall eating experience, packaging, marketability, convenience, nutritional value, and innovation.
The jury praised Parcs Saint Kerber’s Oysters Trio for the high quality and flavor of the oysters, which are packed in seaweed in a traditional wooden box. Each package includes three of Parcs Saint Kerber’s iconic oysters: its historic European flat oyster with a slight bitter finish; its special Pacific oyster – Tsarkaya – which has a subtle sweet finish; and its Saint Kerber oyster, carrying the briny flavor of the Bay of Mont Saint Michel.
Algolesko’s Wakame Pickles are made from sustainably harvested seaweed and transformed into a fresh, crunchy product with citrus, zest, salt, and vinegar. The Wakame Pickles stood out for their distinctive flavor and the versatility they add to a menu, according to the judges, who noted the product could be paired with oysters or other shellfish, served as part of a crudité, or simply presented on its own as a stand-alone appetizer.
In addition to the two grand winners, the judges selected four other products for special awards in the innovation, convenience, retail packaging, and seafood product line categories.
The Vinh Hoan Corporation of Vietnam won the innovation award for its Lucky Bag product, comprising six colored dumplings made with pangasius surimi wrappers.
Vega Salmon A/S of Denmark won the seafood product line award for its SalmonChef line of hot smoked salmon products, which come in five flavors: Chinese 5-Spice, Thai Ginger, Chili & Lime, Spanish Sweet Citrus, and Mexican Ancho Chile.
Phillips Food, Inc., based in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A., won the convenience award for its Signature Lobster Cakes, which are fully prepared, handcrafted cakes made with lobster that only requires to be cooked briefly before serving.
Multi X of Chile won the retail packaging award for its Latitude 45 Smoked Salmon Candy Bites, which are packed in a recyclable sleeve containing information on product benefits, certifications, a full recipe, and more.
Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global attendees can see the winners and all the other finalists on display in the venue’s Product Showcase, located between Halls 4 and 5 in the Galleria. The full list of products can also be viewed online on Seafood Expo Global’s website.
