As a part of a push to expand authentic Spanish cuisine to a wider consumer base, Grupo Profand has launched its new Tapas Del Mar line of products.
The line features dishes inspired by traditional Spanish cuisine, including seafood salad, paella, and other classic recipes.
"Our aim is to provide products that are as close to the traditional recipes as possible," Grupo Profand European Retail Commercial Director Robert Kułtoniak told SeafoodSource at the 2024 Seafood Expo Global, which took place 23 to 25 April in Barcelona, Spain. "We want to offer consumers the convenience of enjoying these meals quickly and easily, without sacrificing the authentic taste that makes Spanish cuisine so special."
According to the Vigo, Spain-based company, the products were developed with input from Spanish chefs and kitchens to ensure authenticity but also making it as easy as possible for consumers to enjoy dishes at home and replicate the unique Spanish dining experience.
Kułtoniak said that retailers have shown strong interest, and the products are set to hit the market this September.
"The retail response has so far been really good [in the U.K.]," Profand U.K. Director Geoff Cormack told SeafoodSource. "We have secured placement in several key retail locations, and we are confident that consumers will love these products as much as we do."
Tapas Del Mar is not exclusively focused on taste and convenience but also on sustainability, with the company investing in high-pressure pasteurization technologies for the line, which extend the shelf life of the products, reduce food waste, and lower the company's carbon footprint.
"Our packaging technology allows us to offer products that stay fresh longer, which means less waste and a smaller environmental impact," Kułtoniak said.
The company is also making moves outside of the new product line, with Grupo Profand U.K., in particular, innovating within its majority-owned Greek fish-farming company Kefalonia Fisheries, acquired in March 2022 to support the company's international growth and expansion.
Focused mainly on the production of sea bass and sea bream, Kefalonia is comprised of four fish farms, two packaging plants, and a hatchery that produces fish eggs and smolt, employing approximately 150 people.
Grupo Profand U.K. is eager to double down on bringing Greek-style seafood Mediterranean-based flavors such as kalamata olives and other traditional Greek ingredients to the U.K., Cormack said.
The company also recently invested in a Pacific white shrimp aquaculture facility in Ecuador, working toward vertical integration there.
“Our aim is to grow consumption. When we enter markets, we’re saying that we're here to help people eat different proteins, and we can find a way together,” Kułtoniak said.
