Alaska Symphony of Seafood names 2023 winners

The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) announced the winners of its annual Alaska Symphony of Seafood event on 24 February.

The event, organized since 1994, pits new commercial-ready, value-added products made from Alaska seafood against each other in a competition the AFDF said is intended to promote the new products and encourage investment in product development. The first place winners of each category, and the grand prize winner of the contest, receive booth space at Seafood Expo North America – running from 12 to 14 March 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. – airfare to and from the show sponsored by Alaska Air Cargo, and entry into the SENA new products contest, the Seafood Excellence Awards.

This year, Peter Pan Seafood took home the grand prize with its Wild Caught Alaska Salmon with Ribbon Kelp Chimichurri. The new value-added product also took home two other awards: First place in the retail category and the pick for “salmon choice.” The new product features sockeye salmon and ribbon kelp – marking the first time, according to AFDF, that a major Alaska-based salmon processing company has integrated Alaska kelp into a new product.

According to the AFDF, Peter Pan Seafoods Vice President of Retail Sales and Product Development Mike De Caro called the triple-win by the new product “beginner’s luck.”

“This is Peter Pan Seafood’s first time at developing value-added products. One key – stick to only a few natural ingredients,” Caro said.

It was also the first time that Peter Pan Seafood had entered the competition. 

"As first-time entrants to the Symphony of Seafood, we’re elated to be selected as the grand prize winner," Peter Pan Seafood Chief Growth Officer Rodger May said. "I’m so proud of our team, especially Michael De Caro, for the long hours of research and development they put in to make this fantastic product.”

Barnacle Foods took second place in the retail category with its Kelp Chili Crisp, which also took home the “Seattle People’s Choice” award.

Third place was a tie between Kelptastic Farms’ CBD Kelp Brownies and Thunder’s Catch’s Wild Salmon Chowder.

Thunder’s Catch also took home two other awards with its Wild Salmon Chowder: the “Bristol Bay Choice” and the “Juneau People’s Choice.” The product, the AFDF said, is shelf-stable, preservative-free, and made with Bristol Bay sockeye salmon. Made by two Bristol Bay fishermen, Kara Berlin and Taran White, the product contains “real whole foods and ingredients one could find in their own kitchen,” Berlin said.

“We’re very grateful, and look forward to carrying this momentum to connect with more retailers and direct consumers,” White said.

In the foodservice category, Ocean Beauty Seafoods took home first place with its Ocean Beauty Grill House Burger. The new product features wild Alaska salmon with a “surprisingly meaty flavor” that is ready to grill, fry, or cook in the oven.

The foodservice category was rounded out by Alaskan Leader Seafoods’ Wild Alaska Cod Burgers and Trident Seafoods’ Takoyaki Style Wild Alaska Pollock Bites.

In the “Beyond the Plate” category, Trident Seafoods’ earned both first place for its Pure Catch Wild Alaska Omega-3 Triple Strength, a nutritional supplement; and second place with its Alaska Naturals 100 Percent Wild-Caught Alaska Pollock Jerky Dog Treats.

In the “White Fish Choice” category, Alaskan Leader Seafoods won with its Wild Caught Crispy Beer Battered Cod.

New to this year, all entrants can also receive initial consulting services with the AFDF Startup Accelerator – formerly known as the Alaska Ocean Cluster.

The Alaska Symphony of Seafood was sponsored by: the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, Alaska Air Cargo, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Community Development Association, American Seafoods, At-Sea Processors Association, Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation, City of Unalaska, Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers, Global Seafood Alliance, Kwik’Pak Fisheries, Marel Seattle, Marine Stewardship Council, Matson, Northwest Fisheries Association, Pacific Seafood Processors Association, Trident Seafoods, UniSea, and the United Fishermen of Alaska.  

Photos courtesy of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation