Value added seafood shines on sides and shareplates in today’s menus

The increased availability of seafood in today’s market has led to a greater expectation of variety – and major seafood suppliers have responded by expanding the range of flavours, cuts and presentation styles they offer to foodservice.

David White, Executive Chef at Simplot Australia which markets seafood products under the I&J and Captain’s Catch brands, says this approach has seen the growth of the value added category. “Our job is to make life easier for the foodservice professional, and that means providing solutions that save on prep time and labour without compromising on quality, all of which enables them to run a more profitable business.”

Staff and skills shortage driving demand

The ongoing staff and skills shortage in foodservice is continuing to drive demand for these value added offerings. “When we were coming out of Covid, the understaffing in the industry came as a shock – it’s now become the new normal. On top of that, we’ve since had inflation kicking in top of the low staffing levels, so the cost of many goods has soared, including that of fresh seafood.

“The good news is that the pricing of value added frozen products has not increased at the same rate. So you can still offer good quality value added seafood on the menu thanks to the consistency of pricing. It’s also the case that their long frozen shelf life helps minimise wastage – you’ve got 18 months to two years’ shelf life on some frozen products – then there’s the further benefit of less preparation time and labour cost because most of the presentation work has been done for you. All of which makes value added frozen seafood a great choice in terms of addressing staff shortages and alleviating some of your cost concerns at the same time.”

The competitive nature of today’s supply market is also helping to maintain high quality standards, as David affirms: “We know we have to make sure we’re delivering value added products that adhere to our end-user’s quality expectations. When I’m talking to chefs about our products, I always say they are ones you’d be proud to call your own. In other words, when you’re choosing value added seafood for your menu, you want the best quality products you can sell in this category, ones that you’re happy to put your name to. That means we as a supplier have to deliver a range that will deliver on that expectation, along with ongoing innovation to keep the category interesting and exciting.

“It’s also the case that consumers are increasingly aware of sustainability concerns and looking to know more about what they’re eating. We know from our interaction with foodservice businesses that they are regularly getting questions about this. That’s why we have highlighted sustainability attributes which can help to differentiate your menu offering from the competition – such as MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certification in support of sustainable fishing practice. Those concerns are at the top of our list when we source seafood, because we know it’s important not just for our end-users but their customers.”

When it comes to which value added seafood products are proving most popular in the market, David emphasises that “the market is constantly looking for innovation, people want something new and different. Our I&J Flathead Fillets have certainly cut through, in no small part because of their handmade presentation – they are hand dipped in batter and look as though they have been made in-house from scratch, and lend themselves to a wide variety of menu applications, including ‘street food’ style fish tacos or burrito wraps.

“These flavours and presentation styles are on trend at the moment, as is the demand for share plates which is a great way of providing more variety for customers. Our I&J Flathead Fish Bites and Snapper Bites are big sellers on share plates. Again, they have that ‘proud to call your own’ factor thanks to their hand dipped look and the quality of their coating – all that hard work’s been done for you so that helps with your labour costs in the kitchen.

“What we’ve also seen recently is a growth in offering seafood as sides – savvy restaurateurs are recognising that increasing their add-on options is a good way to drive profit. You can offer your core meal at $17 or $18 but also have an extensive side menu and this is where items like salt and pepper squid or prawns are a great fit and can really boost your sales. It’s getting to the point where people are no longer having entrees but will instead order two or three sides with their main.”

David adds that demand for value added seafood is particularly strong in foodservice’s health and aged care sector. “Fish is a very popular item for the Friday menu in health and aged care and we sell a lot of product into that market. Our Captains Catch brand, which is our value proposition, offers products which work really well in that environment for two reasons – first, it’s cost-effectively priced and second, it’s oven bakeable so it’s an ideal fit for many of their kitchen setups.”

Superior hold time, better presentation

Neil Cane, Innovation Manager at major seafood supplier Pacific West, echoes David’s words regarding the benefits of value added frozen product, adding: “If I was managing a big kitchen, I would certainly be looking at more value added products right now. Given the current staff shortages, we’ve seen a lot of rationalisation of menus recently and people sticking with safe options, keeping menus simple with choices like battered fish, fish and chips, squid and calamari.

“You shouldn’t overlook the fact that if you buy fresh seafood and freeze it yourself – which is often the case in order to prevent wastage – it’s not going to freeze as well as product which has been frozen at sea in blast freezers. That is an advanced technology process which delivers a superior hold time and better presentation and quality once cooked. And there is so much variety available with value added seafood – we have products like Tempura Prawns, Coconut Prawns, Panko Prawns which are ideal as entrees, mains or sides to a steak and as such are perfect for expanding foodservice menus.”

Pacific West’s product range also includes a selection of battered fish including flathead, snapper and whiting as well as popular Alaskan pollock – “we’ve got a variety of fish for all budgets, sizes and menu applications,” Neil says. The diverse product portfolio also includes Salt and Pepper Squid, Tempura Squid Rings, Panko Squid Rings and natural squid the chef can cut and finish as desired – Neil says “we’ve got options to cover all your seafood sharing requirements, for example our squid and prawn ranges are perfect for share plates.”

Pacific West is also about to introduce sea-frozen Southern Blue Whiting in both Panko crumb and Tempura. “It’s naturally dry filleted, not a formed product, and it’s frozen at sea and once frozen is never defrosted until you cook it,” Neil explains, “which gives it a texture and mouthfeel which is closer than ever to fresh caught fish. It’s a terrific product.

“We’ve also launched Lobster Sensation which contains 35 per cent lobster and is ideal to use as an ingredient in pasta dishes, seafood pies or in seafood rolls,” Neil adds. “And we have a new website, www.justcooked.com.au which features some terrific foodservice recipe suggestions, including for share plates and sides.”