Ocean Beauty gets creative with salmon nuggets, lox bits

Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.-based Ocean Beauty Seafoods is shaking up the U.S. retail market with four new wild salmon products for retail, along with one for foodservice. 

Headlining the new offerings is honey-cured smoked wild Alaskan sockeye nuggets under the supplier’s Echo Falls brand, which won first place in the retail category at the 2024 Alaska Symphony of Seafood competition on 13 November.

The nugget launch ties in perfectly with the upcoming holiday season since the product is geared toward "attacking the snacking segment as well as a component for charcuterie boards," Ocean Beauty Vice President of Sales and Marketing Ron Christianson told SeafoodSource. 

“They make it easy for everyone – the hosts and the guests alike – to enjoy smoked salmon at their next party,” Ocean Beauty said.

The bite-sized nuggets are sourced in Bristol Bay, Alaska, then honey-cured “for the perfect subtle sweetness to pair with the applewood smoke,” he said.

Another new product for retail, the Ocean Beauty Grillhouse Thai Chili Lime Burger, was also a finalist in this year’s Symphony of Seafood competition, after its original Grillhouse Salmon Burger won the Best Foodservice Product award in last year’s competition.

Both burgers were created as an alternative to red meat burgers “with a focus on a satisfying beef burger taste,” the company said in a press release. The “guilt-free” burgers contain 18 grams of protein and 612 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids per serving.

“Like our original Grillhouse burger, the Thai Chili Lime Burger is designed to satisfy your appetite like a beef burger with a great juicy texture and a spicy full flavor,” Ocean Beauty National Value-Added Sales Manager Kevin Palmer said. “We’re pleased to support Bristol Bay fisheries by creating value-added products that promote Alaska seafood, benefitting fishermen and local communities alike.”

Ocean Beauty is also attempting to reinvigorate the smoked salmon retail market – which has experienced flat sales this year, according to Christianson – with new products.

“We are adding smoked salmon products that are primarily ingredients [and] continuing to innovate,” Christianson said.

New offerings include Echo Falls maple bourbon hot smoked salmon and Echo Falls Applewood Smoked Wild Alaskan Salmon Sockeye Lox Bits and Pieces — both sold in six-ounce packages.

The maple-bourbon smoked salmon, which is smoked over oak, combines “the deep mellowness of bourbon with natural sweetness of maple syrup,” Ocean Beauty said. The cold-smoked salmon lox bits are designed for topping bagels, blending into a quiche or scrambled eggs, or dressing up “your favorite spread,” the company said

Ocean Beauty is also adding more convenience to its retail and foodservice lineups with a keta salmon fillet for retail and Los Angeles Smoking and Curing Company (LASCco.) Cold-Smoked Keta Fillet for foodservice.

“This 1.25 pound keta fillet is pre-portioned for easy handling by the restaurant or the consumer,” the company said.

Photo courtesy of Ocean Beauty Seafoods