Valentine’s Day brings big Dungeness crab promotions

Restaurants are most likely to benefit from Valentine's Day seafood sales as a majority (74 percent) of 1,000 adults surveyed by Popmenu said they will dine out or order takeout/delivery from restaurants this year. Of those participating in the holiday activities, 49 percent plan to dine at a restaurant, 25 percent plan to order takeout/delivery, and 26 percent plan to cook at home or enjoy another activity.

The U.S. Pacific Northwest Dungeness crab season started with delays and pricing woes, and fishing groups are working to promotethe luxury shellfish for Valentine’s Day. Lobster, crab, wild salmon, and other seafood items are also being touted in marketing campaigns nationwide ahead of the U.S. holiday on 14 February.

The California Dungeness crab fishery opened 1 January after delays due to the presence of whales and on 15 January in Oregon, U.S.A. Extended negotiations between fishermen and processors resulted in the per-pound price being set at USD 2.25 (EUR 2.10), less than half of last year’s USD 4.75 (EUR 4.42) per pound and the lowest since 2012.

Despite the early season being beset by meat quality, biotoxin, whale presence, and weather issues in California, Oregon and Washington, there are now “good volumes of crab coming,” Astoria, Oregon-based West Coast Seafood Processors Association Deputy Director Susan Chambers told SeafoodSource.

Since Dungeness crab is considered a luxury seafood item and a “popular special treat” for holidays such as Christmas and New Year’s, “it follows that Dungeness crab would be an ideal treat for Valentine's Day dinner – especially since the season started so late and we missed the earlier holidays,” Chambers said.

“We’re looking forward to communities holding crab feeds this winter and spring to celebrate the arrival of our traditional West Coast crab,” Chambers added.

Among a myriad of other Valentine’s Day promotions featuring seafood are these standout offers:

Greensboro, North Carolina-based The Fresh Market is promoting a Valentine’s Meal for Two, including a choice of two: Premium Choice Chateaubriand Cut Filet Mignon, Ultimate Lump Crab Cakes, or Wild North Atlantic Lobster Tail. As part of the USD 59.99 (EUR 55.90) deal, shoppers can also choose one of each: Mascarpone Whipped Potatoes with Rosemary, Asparagus with Red Peppers and Sea Salt Butter Steamer Bag, Hand-Dipped Chocolate Strawberries, and a dozen roses.

The Fresh Market is also featuring a Heart-Shaped Crab Cake, “made exclusively for The Fresh Market,” from its seasoned, ready-to-cook Maryland Crab Cake, the retailer said in a press release.

Anchorage, Alaska-based Copper River Seafoods is offering a free pound of Copper River salmon or cod throughout February when customers order three pounds or more of the fish. Because Valentine’s Day falls on a Tuesday, Copper River noted in an email to customers “These cod and salmon portions are tender and flaky, delicious and versatile. Store them in your freezer and easily pop them out for (fish) Taco Tuesdays ...