PORTLAND, Maine – Bristol Seafood announced today it aligned with Bristol Bay Alaska Seafoods, owner of the Blue North, state of the art Alaska Cod harvester, and also completed a significant investment in the filleting capabilities of its Portland, Maine plant. Bristol installed a Marel FleXicut and sorting line to its fillet line, empowering its team members to deliver customization and consistent quality for its customers at greater volumes.
Bristol Seafood is the largest importer/processor of Norwegian line-caught haddock in the US, and also produces Alaska cod, among other items. All of its products are produced in its plant in Portland, Maine. Its US caught and produced Alaska cod products include refreshed and frozen fillets, loins and portions, plus retail-ready items like bagged frozen portions and its ready-to-cook My Fish Dish value-added product line. The company will announce more new products focused on the frozen and grab-and-go before Lent.
“We are very happy to become the lead supplier for Bristol Seafood of the finest Alaska cod available.” Noted Mike Burns, Chairman & Co-Founder of Blue North. “It’s a huge credit to the forward-thinking team at Bristol to see the value of using Alaska cod in their growing business. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial association.”
“As we continue to grow and our needs evolve, Marel’s FleXicut will be a crucial tool to enable our production team members to do the excellent work our customers expect from us.” noted Michael Lodato, Vice President – Sales at Bristol, “In particular, with foodservice customers increasingly seeking customized loin and portion options, and our retail customers seeing growth in demand for US-produced, ready-to-cook, and precisely-portioned items, this new production line and sourcing partnership will help us answer the call.”
“Our aim is to help our customers improve in a market which is changing at a faster pace than ever.” Noted Magnus Olason, Sales Business Manager at Marel. “The addition of the FleXicut waterjet line to Bristol Seafood’s existing Marel investments, which include lines for portioning, batching, grading, skinning, and weighing, will allow the company to continuously improve the quality of its product and offerings and help its team members make a bigger impact than they otherwise could.”
About Bristol Seafood
Bristol Seafood is on a mission to make seafood America’s favorite protein. Since its founding in 1992 on the waterfront in Portland, Maine, the company built a nationwide following for its steadfast adherence to its Uncompromising Maine Standards. Bristol was named to the Top 25 Seafood Sustainability & Conservation list, the Top 25 Seafood Product Innovations, and is the first seafood company in the US to earn a Fair Trade certification. See more at www.bristolseafood.com, or contact Iréne Moon VP – Marketing irenem@bristolseafood.com and 207-318-3183
