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Top Species about the difference in the salmon and providing POS materials for retailers. Recipe cards have a QR code on them that when scanned takes con- sumers to the company's web- site; QR codes on gill tags also give information on when and where the fish was harvested. Verlasso continues to add says Nichols, distributors, as it rolls out the brand na- tionwide. New York-based Fresh Direct sells about 1,000 pounds a week, he says. "We want to be sell- ing a significant amount of salmon," Nichols says, and the plan is to achieve that through ongoing production expansion and efficiencies. Of course, getting the farmed salmon into the hands of consumers or on to restaurant menus means making a successful case for it to buyers. Chet Garland, owner of Jackson Fish Co., a market and café in Harmo- ny, Pa., took on Skuna Bay farmed salmon from Van- couver Island, British Co- lumbia, after he was intro- duced to it by sales reps from Euclid Fish and Skuna Bay. "It's everything you expect to see in a fish," he says in terms of taste and texture. Getting a fish that was just four days out of the water is rare in the Pittsburgh area, adds Garland, who has "It's hard to believe we can continue to take 4 pounds of fish to make 1 pound. We had to be able to change that." — Scott Nichols, director, Verlasso been in the restaurant busi- ness for 15-plus years. And having a fresher fish adds to its shelf life. "We were doing wild be- fore Skuna Bay because I don't really like farm-raised except to cure it," he says. Jackson Fish is a new busi- ness, having opened a few months ago, but already Garland says he is going through 30 orders a week for Skuna Bay salmon, which he also sells in his retail market. He charges the same price as he does for wild and says "people like the quality and the sustainability aspect." Garland, who is a partner in three restaurants, is open- ing a similar concept soon and will include Skuna Bay, along with wild salmon, on that menu as well. The value-added option Another way farmed salm- on is being niche-marketed is through the value-added channel, with products like smoked salmon. Laura McNaughton, di- rector of Delifish North America, a sister company of Marine Harvest USA, says it's not about getting people to eat more smoked salmon, but to think about it in new ways. "It's not just for breakfast on a bagel," she explains, "but taking it beyond that, like smoked salmon lasagna." Ad- ditionally, she says, the goal is to convince consumers that smoked salmon can be an alternative to their usual pro- tein, such as chicken. Trough various market- ing channels, recipes and even changes in packaging, the message is to think about smoked salmon differently. By going with a smaller package, says McNaughton, consumers can more easily judge their cost per meal vs. the cost per pound. Te salm- on is packaged in 4-ounce to 6-ounce sizes and is available in traditional sides, but also rounds and flavored portions. Te salmon, marketed un- der the Royal Fjord brand, is being positioned for su- permarkets and specialty retailers with flavors in the hot-smoked line, including garlic pepper, chipotle and French herb. Te idea, she says, is to have a product "that stands out not just in the packaging, but in the taste. Because the taste will give us repeat business." In addition to the indi- vidual sizes, the Royal Fjord brand will offer 12-ounce holiday packs so there is enough to serve at a party, she says. Contributing Editor Joanne Friedrick lives in Portland, Maine dŚĞ ŝŶŶŽǀĂƟǀĞ ŽŶůŝŶĞ ƚƌĂĚŝŶŐ ƉůĂƞŽƌŵ ĨŽƌ ƐĂůŵŽŶ. :ŽŝŶ ƵƐ! ^ĂůŵŽŶ ƐƉŽƚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ^ĂůŵŽŶ ĨŽƌǁĂƌĚ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ WƌŝĐĞ ƌĞƉŽƌƚƐ 30 SeaFood Business October 2012 ǁǁǁ.ƐĂůŵŽŶĞdž.ĐŽŵ Visit us online at www.seafoodbusiness.com Photo courtesy of Verlasso