PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – For those not in the know, there’s a new wing on the menu. And it’s wild.
High Liner Foods Incorporated (TSX: HLF) (“High Liner Food” or “the Company”), a leading supplier of value-added frozen seafood in North America, was awarded First Place in Foodservice at the 27th Annual Alaska Symphony of Seafood for their new Alaska Wild Wings.
Hailed as wildly innovative, the southern-style Alaska Wild Wings were “like nothing the judges expected,” said Craig Murray, Senior Vice President Marketing & Innovation at High Liner Foods. “We knew this was a strong innovation in the seafood category, and the judges would be impressed, and it’s great to get recognized in this way.”
Made from 100% wild-caught Alaska Pollock and a blend of southern-style herbs and spices, the tasty, boneless, bite-sized wings were judged on presentation, price, their high potential for success and overall eating experience. They were prepared from frozen and served to the judges who immediately fell in love with the quick and easy-to-prepare snack. The Alaska Wild Wings were paired with a variety of sauces, making them even more delicious.
With appetizers and snacking on the rise, Alaska Wild Wings are perfectly suited to help expand seafood offerings and drive incremental sales for commercial and non-commercial operators. “It’s great that one of our first appetizers and snacking innovations is getting noticed, but at the end of the day, it’s really about elevating our offering for operators,” added Murray. “The appetizers and snacks our team is developing, the innovations they’re creating, are really adding value. They are landing on menus across North America and we’re seeing really positive feedback from operators.”
The 27th annual competition kicked off in Seattle on November 20 with a private judging session, with the winners announced after 48 hours of tasting and celebrating seafood. The judge’s panel, consisting of a number of Alaska’s most influential seafood experts, from chefs to fishermen, sampled a bevy of foods from 13 entrants before awarding High Liner Foods Alaska Wild Wings first place.
High Liner Foods is already taking advantage of their win by looking ahead. With the support the Alaska Wild Wings are receiving, the Company will be taking this innovation to Seafood Expo North America’s Seafood Excellence Competition for new products in March 2020. Hopes are high it will receive even more accolades.
“The wild wing innovation is also being launched at retail across North America,” concluded Murray. “And again, we’re seeing really strong support for the product from retailers and interest from consumers, so we’re expecting our new Alaska Wild Wings to fly off the shelves!”
About High Liner Foods
High Liner Foods Incorporated is a leading North American processor and marketer of value-added frozen seafood. High Liner Foods’ retail branded products are sold throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico under the High Liner, Fisher Boy, Mirabel and Sea Cuisine labels and are available in most grocery and club stores. The Company also sells branded products to restaurants and institutions under the High Liner Foodservice, Icelandic Seafood and FPI labels and is a major supplier of private-label value-added seafood products to North American food retailers and foodservice distributors. High Liner Foods is a publicly-traded Canadian company, trading under the symbol HLF on the Toronto Stock Exchange. https://www.highlinerfoods.com
