Price Chopper Supermarkets, a Golub Corporation company, today announced its partnership with Hudson, N.Y.-based Local Ocean and, in doing so, became the first supermarket retailer in the nation to provide customers with the opportunity to purchase the progressive company’s sustainable, “locally grown” sea bream.
Local Ocean is growing sustainable ocean-based varieties of salt water fish using a revolutionary contained farming process that includes a closed loop water system and delivering them fresh – initially sea bream – to six Price Chopper stores in New York: Hudson, Shoppers World in Clifton Park, Loudon Plaza in Latham, Bethlehem, Niskayuna and Saratoga Springs (Route 50). Sea bream, most of which weigh approximately one pound, will be offered at $9.99 per pound.
“We are thrilled to become the nation’s first supermarket to partner with Local Ocean and provide our customers with an opportunity to enjoy this delectable and wholly sustainable, locally farmed fish,” said Lee French, Price Chopper’s Vice President of Seafood Merchandising. “The sea bream will be delivered fresh from Local Ocean’s facility to our stores in less than 24 hours, which further clarifies Price Chopper’s deep commitment both to sustainability and to providing the “Best in Fresh” and locally grown products to our customers.”
Local Ocean is at the forefront of an aquaculture revolution that raises a sustainable supply of fresh, clean, healthy fish in giant pristine tanks that are maintained at the same temperature and salinity as the Mediterranean, minus impurities of the ocean and the stress caused by predators. Their proprietary system duplicates the natural process of an algae-based filtering system whereby water is purified and cleansed into clean saltwater.
“It makes good sense for us to launch this program with a forward-thinking and committed company such as Price Chopper,” said Local Ocean Vice President of Corporate Development Jonathan Eisenberg. “We believe that having Price Chopper as our first supermarket partner will enable us to expand the variety of our product offerings within the Northeast.”
Sea bream is known for its delicate, mild white flesh and is very popular in Italy, France, Israel and other Mediterranean countries, where it is most often grilled or baked whole. “This particular fish receives a NuVal score of 82 and offers Price Chopper customers a healthy and delicious center-of-the-plate protein that can play a key role in a healthy lifestyle,” said Ellie Wilson, Price Chopper’s Senior Corporate Nutritionist.
“We believe Local Ocean’s sea bream is the freshest seafood item that is available to us today,” said Brad Rosenstein, owner of Jack’s Oyster House in Albany. “We applaud Price Chopper for recognizing that and carrying it in their stores.”
“Local Ocean and its partnership with Price Chopper will provide a local, fresh, sustainably focused, year-round supply of fresh fish, with the added bonus of reduced transportation costs,” said Noah Sheetz, Executive Chef of New York State at the Governor's Mansion. “Local Ocean's closed system of circulation has several advantages with respect to food safety. A closed and regulated aquaculture system means a product that is as close to organic as possible, even though there are currently no USDA organic certification standards for fish.”
“As we explore ways in which to continually provide our customers with fresh, healthy and sustainable seafood, we celebrate the revolutionary assurances made possible by our partners at Local Ocean and look forward to working with them to expand the variety and distribution of their fish in our stores,” said French.
Source: Price Chopper
