Last updated on July 30th, 2024 at 05:36 pm
Boston-based North Coast Seafoods, alongside its Maine-based partner and farmed kelp producer Atlantic Sea Farms, recently received the Climate Award at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s first Gulf of Maine Tastemakers Awards.
The Climate Award is given to companies that champion and bring restorative food into the mainstream. This year, the award was presented to North Coast Seafoods and Atlantic Sea Farms for their joint efforts in promoting and utilizing farmed Maine kelp as a sustainable and climate-friendly food source.
North Coast Seafoods and Atlantic Sea Farms have been in the forefront of championing climate-friendly food and successfully bringing it into the mainstream market. North Coast’s seaweed-ish meatballs, made with Atlantic Sea Farms’ kelp, have been making waves in the institutional food service space around the region.
Both companies are committed to reducing their environmental impact in all practices from sourcing to final production, a key reason why these companies were nominated for and awarded the Climate Award.
North Coast is currently implementing its 100-percent recyclable packaging across its operations, while continuing to pursue new ways of reducing its energy usage and environmental footprint.
“We were honored to receive the Climate Award at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute’s Tastemakers Awards alongside our partners at Atlantic Sea Farms,” said Andrew Wilkinson, chief director of innovation at North Coast Seafoods. “We are deeply proud to provide our customers with a delicious, nutrient-dense, local, sustainable product that positively impacts our oceans and the environment.”
Their dedication to climate responsibility have earned Atlantic Sea Farms and North Coast Seafoods a joint win for the inaugural Gulf of Maine Tastemakers Climate Award.
In addition, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute awarded two other companies during the same event.
Hannaford received the Local Award Winner by working with more than 20 suppliers to promote local seafood in its stores. According to the institute, 42 percent of the seafood purchased by Hannaford is sourced locally, showcasing its dedication to supporting regional fisheries and communities around New England.
The South Portland School Nutrition Program was the recipient of the Innovation Award Winner. The program, under the leadership of Shawn Perry, has successfully served local fish at least twice a month (and sometimes more) during the past school year.
