Sanford’s Big Glory Bay king salmon wins food award in New Zealand

Timaru, New Zealand-based seafood company Sanford is celebrating after its Big Glory Bay salmon brand won a Food and Beverage Producer Award at the 2023 Primary Industries New Zealand Awards.

The awards, which acknowledge primary sector food and beverage products with high quality and sustainability credentials, are handed out annually by the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries. Sanford’s product won for its sustainability focus and export success, according to a press release.

“At 47 degrees south, Big Glory Bay is one of the most remote aquaculture farms in the world. This unique location is what gives our king salmon its quality,” Sanford Marketing Manager Emma Croft said. “The chilly currents of the Southern Ocean flow into the bay throughout the year, which keeps the average water temperature nice and cool. So, our fish can grow hormone-free, maturing much more slowly just like they would in the wild. Aotearoa’s pristine waters are naturally free of lice and other nasty bugs as well, so Big Glory Bay’s fish don’t need antibiotics.”

The Big Glory Bay salmon farms are moved every two years to allow for a dispersal of environmental impact, and Sanford keeps farming density low and employs satellite and drone technology to monitor the bay for algae blooms and fish health. Sanford added it has partnered with Oritain to forensically certify the provenance of each salmon fillet sold.

“It’s initiatives like these that go above and beyond industry standards that are the reason why king salmon from New Zealand has earnt the coveted ‘Best Choice, Buy First’ ranking Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program, meaning it’s the most sustainable farmed salmon in the world,” Croft said. “Big Glory Bay’s salmon has maintained its certification, so shoppers know for sure they’re buying a product that has been sustainably farmed, free from GMOs, hormones, and antibiotics, right down the bottom of Aotearoa."

Sanford Group Export Manager Mackenzie Collis said sales have been good to high-end U.S., Asian, and Australian eateries, rising 106 percent year-over-year in 2022.

“Being from New Zealand is a key part of our story that customers value. The incredible location within New Zealand is another part of that. The flavor of the salmon itself tells the story. The high content of good fats and the incredible marbled flesh are some of the things that chefs all over the world comment on. Many of them tell us it’s the best salmon they have ever worked with,” Collis said. “These strong points which the judges seemed to appreciate, are backed up by strong sales, another requirement of the Primary Industries award application.”

Croft said Sanford was gratified to see higher sales of a premium product at a time where rising food prices have made consumers “more discerning than ever about what they were spending their hard-earned money on.”

“It’s amazing to get this thumbs up from industry insiders and gives our people, Big Glory Bay and Sanford, the motivation to keep driving progress in sustainability,” she said. “I can’t wait to see what clever solutions our team comes up with next.”

Photo courtesy of Sanford