Lagoon Seafood diving into development of value-added products

Founded in 1992, Lachine, Quebec, Canada-based Lagoon Seafood has steadily worked over the decades to build a solid reputation for its seafood importing and exporting business.

The family-owned business has established relationships with some of the biggest retailers in North America working from facilities in Quebec, including sites in both Montreal and Granby, and a third plant in Nova Scotia. It is now seeking the next stage in its growth through the development of value-added seafood products, according to Lagoon Marketing Manager Tony Vartivarian.

“Focused on our customers, this strategic move to diversify our product portfolio focuses on delivering innovative and cutting-edge products to the market,” he said.

Lagoon Seafood’s initial value-added product offerings, marketed through its Blue Tide brand, include Seasoned Salmon Tartare, Bacon-Wrapped Scallops, Salmon Wellington, Seafood Stuffing, Marinated Salmon Skewers, and a variety of premium-quality sushi products.

“They are easy to prepare and can be paired with many seafood and non-seafood meals. They can be served on their own, as part of a meal, as an appetizer, or as a snack,” Vartivarian said.

As part of its strategic move toward value-added, Lagoon Seafood’s creative process has significantly expanded, centered around innovation, Vartivarian said.

“These products stand out from the competition by providing our consumers with more product variety and recipes. There are a lot of procedures, a lot of processes that run before the products get finalized and sold to the market,” he said. “We just hired a professional chef to lead our program. We run a lot of food tasting internally. We have a great quality-control team. And the goal through the whole process is to make sure that what we create and release is elevating the standards of consumption. We want to create a memorable culinary experience for everyone.”

Guiding that process is market research and insider knowledge gleaned from a 30-plus year history in the industry, Vartivarian said.

“We want to provide consumers with more variety that are easy to prepare, as we are seeing increased demand for value-added products, especially with younger generations,” Vartivarian said. “There is a big movement toward a preference for convenient and ready-to-eat products. The consumer wants something that is delicious, easy to prepare, and that can be paired with other meals.”

Lagoon Seafood’s shift to value-added products came partially as a means of gaining market penetration and generating new sales, Vartivarian said. Lagoon Seafood imports fresh and frozen seafood from around the world, but is best-known in the marketplace for its Canada-sourced haddock. By adding value-added products, Lagoon has been able to offer its existing customers more options and entice new customers with products they’ve never seen before, Vartivarian said.

As a final step in its transformation, the company sought out a new hire that would jump-start its expansion. In April 2022, it hired Stephane Paré as its vice president of sales, in charge overseeing and directing Lagoon's sales teams with a focus on revenue growth. Paré has more than 30 years of experience in sales, including stints at Nestlé, Cavendish Farms, and Sysco Canada.

“Stephane has a deep understanding of consumer behavior and the needs of the market,” Lagoon Seafood Business Resource Manager Michael Cheaib said. “With his sales skills and experience in developing successful products, we’re confident Stephane will help propel us forward in our expansion plans for years to come.”

The COVID-19 pandemic caused some disruption to the company’s plans due to a tighter supply chain, but Lagoon Seafood actually did very well over the past two years, especially with its sales of fresh seafood, Vartivarian said.

Photo courtesy of Lagoon Seafood