Cooked to perfection
Relevant offers
Festivals
In the second of a five-part series in the lead-up to the Havelock Mussel Festival this Saturday, reporter BLAIR ENSOR finds out what's happening in the local mussel industry.
Poor marketing may have driven New Zealand's half-shell mussel prices into the ground, but a small Blenheim company believes it has the recipe right.
Omega Seafood, which was launched in 2004, specialises in cooked Greenshell mussels and clams. At its Riverlands processing plant a small team of about 12 people wash and partially de-beard mussels before they are vacuumed packed. The encased mussels are then cooked under pressure at high temperature in a steam retort.
Up to 600 tonnes of mussels are processed at the factory every year, and the operation is expanding by about 40 per cent annually.
The products, which will last up to a year if unopened and refrigerated, will be available soon in selected local supermarkets.
The company's marketing strategy focuses on product benefits including flavour and presentation rather than price, says marketing manager Johanna O'Connell.
The mussels contain the same seawater they took on when harvested and, from a chef's point of view, they require less labour, and negate many food safety concerns, she says.
It's been a tough time for many sectors of the industry, particularly for those trying to sell half-shell mussels.
Late last year former Aotearoa Seafoods marketing manager John Grant said the half-shell industry was facing unnecessarily tough times because members had become a "soft touch" for importers pursuing low prices.
The market price for mussels, mainly exported to North America and Australia, dropped from $2 per 453 grams to $1.40/453g.
Ms O'Connell believes the sector has struggled because of a commodity-based focus.
"They never go and meet end users, they never know why a restaurant weighs up Chilean or Chinese Greenshell versus New Zealand Greenshell. Their only lever to influence sales is price."
Pushing the health benefits of mussels and selling them to the "baby boomers" is key, she says, while selling into the Asian buffet market is the "road to ruin".
Dubai, Hong Kong, South Africa and Japan are among the markets in Omega's sights.
"We want to be like the Regal Salmon of mussels, we want to recognise the Omega (Seafood) brand and associate it with authentic, high-quality seafood that has got no additives.
"We've had obstacles, but we are slowly clawing over them. It's really satisfying."
- The Marlborough Express
Newest First
Oldest First
