Beara Seafoods Wins Seafood Innovation Award and Silver Medal at Irish Food Awards
Beara Seafoods, established in West Cork by fifth generation local fisherman Ger Lynch, has picked up two accolades at Blas na hÉireann – the Irish Food Awards. The company’s Mussel Bites, developed from a family recipe, were honoured with the 2014 BIM Seafood Innovation Award. The new product also received a Silver Medal in the prepared shellfish category for its outstanding taste and texture.
Beara Seafood’s Mussel Bites are made with sustainably sourced mussels grown at the company’s own farm in Kenmare Bay. Delicately flavoured with garlic, the shelled mussels are coated in a specially developed multigrain crumb made from oats, rye and rice. They are quickly frozen, capturing their unique flavour. Beara Seafood Mussel Bites are naturally low in fat (1.5g/100g) and have only 152 calories per 100g.
Ger Lynch (Managing Director of Beara Seafoods) explains how the family recipe came about: “My wife Marian came up with the recipe when our children were growing up as a way of making shellfish more appetizing to younger diners. Ireland is surrounded by some of the world’s best fishing grounds, yet because we are not introduced to the flavours of seafood at a young age many of us go through life unaware of the wonderful range of fish products on our doorstep. We worked very closely with the team at BIM’s Seafood Development Centre carrying out R&D and with Bullseye Food Marketing who helped us take our product from the kitchen table all the way to the supermarket freezer section.”
Beara Seafoods products are currently available at 17 SuperValu stores as well as from local independent retailers and fishmongers. They are also listed on the menu at 8 Irish restaurants.
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Pictured (L-R): Artie Clifford (Blas na hÉireann), Ger Lynch (Beara Seafoods), Paul Ward (BIM) at Blas na hÉireann Awards.
