Trident Seafoods features wild Alaska pollock in latest food truck venture

Major North American seafood supplier Trident Seafoods is hoping to drive home the benefits of wild-caught Alaska pollock at the University of Washington (UW) this week, when the company’s food truck, The Fork and Fin, rolls up to the Seattle-based campus to serve students samples of the sustainable fish.  

The event, which is slated to take place on Tuesday, 27 February, and Thursday, 1 March, is part of a broader initiative spearheaded by the company to introduce consumers to the environmental and health benefits of wild Alaska pollock. A cousin to cod, wild Alaska pollock is “the most abundant certified-sustainable seafood species in the world,” Trident explained, and produces a much lower carbon footprint than land-based proteins, such as cattle and poultry. 

“It really has everything today’s consumers say they want in a protein: healthy, delicious and sustainable,” the company said.

However, despite all it has to offer, wild Alaska pollock is not often seen on menus – a reality Trident is hoping to change with The Fork and Fin’s latest venture to UW, which is currently celebrating its Sustainable Seafood Week.

“It is our mission to show the world how delicious this often over-looked, under-appreciated cousin to cod truly is – one serving at a time,” Trident told SeafoodSource. “Since the Fork and Fin is local and its menu features wild Alaska pollock, we thought it was a perfect opportunity to gain awareness and trial with UW students and faculty by using the truck to sample wild Alaska pollock. It is also a fun way to kick off UW’s Sustainable Seafood Week.”

Free samples of wild-caught Alaska pollock will be served on both the food truck as well as in the university’s dining hall from 11 a.m. PST to 1 a.m. PST on Tuesday and Thursday. The fish will be prepared in a variety of ways to help showcase its versatility, including as a burger, in a taco, and as fish and chips, Trident said. 

A local staple, The Fork and Fin food truck – which was “born from the belief that wild Alaskan fish is truly the food of the future” –  has proven to be a great vehicle to engage consumers with Alaska’s broad portfolio of sustainable seafood, according to Trident.

“The Fork and Fin brings this versatile and healthy Alaskan species to the people of Seattle; 'from Sea to Street,'” said Trident Seafoods CEO Joe Bundrant, in a news release.  

While the food truck is confined to the Seattle area, Trident remains open and committed to helping bring wild-caught pollock from Alaska to other areas as well, it said. 

“Since our truck is only local, we have limitations to leverage it beyond Seattle, however Trident Seafoods wants to do anything we can to support any college, restaurant, [and] retailer that wants to help spread the word about the benefits of wild Alaska pollock,” the company said.  

The University of Washington has been making strides towards championing sustainable seafood values, and is looking forward to partnering with Trident for this week’s event, UW Campus Executive Chef Tracey MacRae said.

“Sustainable fishing allows us to keep eating delicious seafood long into the future, while also protecting the beautiful water based ecosystems that protect much of the life on Earth,” MacRae said. “Our efforts to provide more local, responsibly sourced seafood to the University of Washington community has proven to be positive traction in the right direction and we are proud to have Trident Seafoods as one of our partners in our sustainable seafood journey.”

“The University of Washington has always been a great Trident Seafoods supporter so we are thrilled to work together to bring this type of event to life,” Trident added. 

Founded 45 years ago, Seattle, Washington-based Trident Seafoods has become the largest vertically-integrated seafood company in North America. The company produces an expansive range of products, including value-added seafood offerings, utilizing Alaska seafood species.