Bristol Seafood expands into grab-and-go category with new retail range

Portland, Maine, U.S.A.-based seafood supplier Bristol Seafood is expanding into the grab-and-go segment with its Bristol Grab & Go retail range, the company announced on 19 February.

The range, which includes line-caught Alaska cod and farmed Atlantic salmon, among other items, showcases “quality seafood in a contemporary format aimed at delighting the evolving retail seafood consumer,” Bristol said.

According to Bristol Seafood Marketing and Retail Vice President Iréne Moon, the seafood grab-and-go category has experienced rapid growth in the U.S., attracting a swath of key consumer demographics, including younger generations. The new line will capitalize on this trend, Moon said, and builds upon Bristol’s portfolio, which includes the value-added My Fish Dish range – a group of products that proved lucrative for the company in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Today, seafood is the fastest-growing category in the American grocery store, and chilled Grab & Go appeals to younger shoppers, among other demographics," Moon said. "Bristol's Grab & Go range builds on our existing portfolio of frozen bagged items and the value-added My Fish Dish range to bring retailers a full suite of products that address their shoppers' evolving needs."

Bristol Grab & Go offerings will be processed at the company’s Portland facility, and will be shipped to retailers frozen, whereafter they can be thawed in-store before sale.

“It is intended to be thawed in-store, resulting in a fresh experience for the consumer in a format that limits labor cost. Also, it addresses the issue of shrink at the store level with up to 10-day shelf-life from thaw, all with zero preservatives,” the company said.

In the second quarter of 2021, Bristol said it plans to launch additional consumer-focused seafood products.

The company, which was founded in 1992, was named as one of 12 finalists in the 2020 Seafood Excellence Awards competition for its My Fish Dish Blackened & Smoked Butter Scallops. Its My Fish Dish range was also featured in SeafoodSource’s latest “Top 25: Seafood Product Innovation” list. 

Photo courtesy of Bristol Seafood