MINNEAPOLIS — Not to scare you, but last week Fortune Fish & Gourmet capped off National Seafood Month and kicked off Halloween by hosting 75+ influencers for a “Scary Good Certified Seafood Celebration” at its Coastal Seafoods retail store in Minneapolis.
Held Oct. 26 together with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), the invite-only gathering joined food media, social media personalities, seafood producers, distributors and retail buyers to discover and taste a delicious array of responsibly raised, ASC-certified seafood curated by Coastal Seafoods’ culinary team.
In mere hours, Fortune, Coastal and ASC staff converted Coastal Seafood’s retail space into a Halloween homage featuring fog machines, fire pits, faux fish skeletons, cobwebs and chillingly artful seafood cases brimming with ice-cold beverages and ASC-certified seafood.
While Fortune, Coastal and ASC speakers shared insights into their mutual commitment to advancing aquaculture from farm to fork, guests – many decked in costumes and seafood-themed attire – feasted on ASC-certified Seared Aqquua Grouper with Japanese Vinaigrette; Seared Verlasso Salmon with Charred Corn Salsa; Peruvian-Style Del Pacifico Shrimp Ceviche; Cured Aqquua Grouper with Cucumber & Dill; Del Pacifico Shrimp Toast; and Verlasso Salmon Gravlax, the latter being a long-awaited reprisal of Coastal’s beloved gravlax, which is now available in-store.
“Our aim was to not just tell Twin Cities influencers, but also offer a taste as to why Fortune Fish and Coastal Seafoods are committed to responsible aquaculture,” said Chris Blankenbaker, Director of Retail, Fortune Fish & Gourmet. “I don’t think anyone has had a certified seafood celebration quite like this, and we were proud to hold this one of a kind event in partnership with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.”
“Fall in Love With Farmed Seafood This Season” Promotion Underway
The event also marked Fortune Fish and Coastal Seafood’s opportunity to highlight its month-long “Fall in Love With Farmed Seafood This Season” promotion, which runs through November 15 featuring:
- Special ASC-certified seafood items at Coastal Seafoods’ Minneapolis location.
- Promotions on ASC-certified Fortune Fish & Gourmet products for Fortune partners.
- Online activations from all three organizations to promote responsibly raised seafood.
- Coastal Seafood’s Marketing Director Keane Amdahl conducting local media tours, sharing recipe inspirations with ASC-certified seafood and more.
Event is ‘Exclamation Point’ for ASC’s 2022 “New Way to Seafood” Marketing Campaign
The “Scary Good Certified Seafood Celebration” and the continuing “Fall in Love With Farmed Seafood This Season” promotions culminate year one of ASC’s first-ever North American marketing campaign, which will continue its national expansion for another 2-4 years.
Throughout 2022, ASC has conducted food festival sampling stations, restaurant dining events, grocery collaborations and other online and in-person activations with heavy emphasis in the Minneapolis, Miami and Philadelphia markets. Current and future events are aimed at showcasing what’s new and next in aquaculture to influencers and consumers, while building awareness nationwide. Next year’s tour will feature ASC conducting new activations in Washington, D.C., Portland, Ore., Southern California and nationally.
“It’s been a pleasure rounding out a year of exciting and diverse seafood celebrations with this creative collaboration, brought to life by our partners Fortune Fish & Gourmet and the Coastal Seafoods team,” said Athena Davis, Marketing Manager, ASC North America. “We started 2022 off strong with Fortune Fish at May’s GrillFest extravaganza, so it’s only fitting to finish back in the Twin Cities. We’re floored not just by Fortune and Coastal’s enthusiasm for making this an unforgettable event, but by their continuous commitment to promoting responsibly farmed, ASC-certified seafood. This education and drive, particularly toward young seafood connoisseurs, helps generate powerful momentum for responsible aquaculture in the U.S.”
About Coastal Seafoods
With locations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Coastal Seafoods has been providing the Twin Cities best seafood for more than 35 years.
About Fortune Fish & Gourmet
Fortune Fish & Gourmet is the premier fresh and frozen seafood processor and specialty food distributor servicing Michelin Star restaurants, James Beard Award winning chefs, hotels, country clubs and grocers from our facilities.
About Aquaculture Stewardship Council
Since 2010, ASC has been creating and enforcing the world’s strictest standards in the industry for:
- Improving farmed seafood quality and safety.
- Ensuring supply chain integrity from the farm to the store.
- Providing the most comprehensive transparency through public disclosure.
- Protecting the environment, workers and communities.
ASC’s sea green label only appears on seafood from farms that have been independently assessed and certified as environmentally and socially responsible. The ASC certification label the best way to ensure the seafood you’re buying is what it claims to be. For more information, visit NewWaytoSeafood.com.
