Alaska Symphony of Seafood contest puts out call for entries for its 30th edition

The Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation (AFDF) has put out the call for products for the 2024 Alaska Symphony of Seafood.

Started in 1994 by the AFDF, the Alaska Symphony of Seafood is an annual competition devoted to encouraging the development of value-added products made using seafood from Alaska, U.S.A. Previous winners of the contest have gone on to leverage the exposure to increase sales.

Last year, Peter Pan Seafood’s Wild Caught Alaska Salmon with Ribbon Kelp Chimichurri took home three prizes – the grand, retail, and salmon choice prices – and went on to be a finalist in the Seafood Excellence Awards, which take place during Seafood Expo North America. Another winner, Thunder’s Catch’s Wild Salmon Chowder – winner of the Bristol Bay choice, the Juneau people’s choice, and third place overall – also managed to win the Seafood Excellence Awards’ retail category.

The event will start on 7 November with an event at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. An awards ceremony will then take place in Juneau, Alaska on 21 February. The first-place winners receive a free place in the 2024 Seafood Excellence Awards, booth space at Seafood Expo North America, and airfare to and from the expo.

This year, the Alaska Symphony of Seafood will feature four separate categories – retail, foodservice, beyond the plate, and a new category dubbed “around the plate.” The new category, the AFDF said, will feature any value-added seafood products that are not center-of-the-plate, such as condiments, appetizers, snacks, or desserts. The competition will also have two special awards in addition to the category awards – best packaging and best grab-and-go item. The new awards join the grand prize, salmon choice, whitefish choice, Seattle people’s choice, Juneau people’s choice, and Bristol Bay choice awards. 

“These new awards and the new category provide more opportunities for promotion, recognition, and increased exposure for value-added products,” the AFDF said. “AFDF is excited to continue to support the industry through the Alaska Symphony of Seafood and looks forward to this year’s entrants.”

The deadline for entry into the contest is 7 October, 2023. The call for product can be downloaded from the AFDF website.

Photo courtesy of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation