H-E-B has partnered with celebrity chefs Andrew Zimmern and Barton Seaver to promote seafood sustainability and their new book, “The Blue Food Cookbook.” The retailer also partnered with sustainable seafood consultancy Fishwise to strengthen its sourcing standards.
The cookbook, released in October, was written by Zimmern, an Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, and Seaver, an expert chef and author. The book is a guide to cooking food from oceans and waterways in a sustainable way.
H-E-B hosted talks and tasting events with the chefs at select Central Market stores in Houston and Austin. The retailer sells the book at more than 200 H-E-B stores and held book signings and food demonstrations at the Jordan Ranch H-E-B in west Houston on Nov. 11 and the Lake Austin H-E-B on Nov. 12.
“H-E-B is honored to work alongside chefs Andrew and Barton, two esteemed voices in the culinary world who share our commitment to seafood sustainability,” said Jason Driskill, H-E-B’s VP of seafood.
“This collaboration allows us to share creative ways to prepare nutritious recipes while amplifying the importance of responsibly sourced seafood that preserves our environment.”
The San Antonio-based retailer joined forces with Fishwise, an organization focused on seafood sustainability, to source certified seafood from responsible fisheries and farms. The commitment aims to improve sourcing standards and supply chain transparency for all seafood sold, including fresh, frozen, prepared and shelf-stable products.
This policy update enhances efforts to:
- Better source certified wild-caught and farmed seafood.
- Expand traceability systems for all seafood products.
- Protect oceans and waterways and the long-term health of species populations and ecosystems.
- Combat human rights abuses and support workers’ rights.
- Promote ethical integrity within its canned tuna supply.
H-E-B is the largest retail buyer of Gulf seafood in Texas, supporting fishing communities throughout the state. The company’s seafood efforts are a part of H-E-B’s Our Texas, Our Future commitment, which works to increase awareness and education around sustainability efforts.
Last year, H-E-B diverted more than 638 million pounds of waste through recycling, including more than 20 million pounds of plastic collected from store operations and customers. The company will update its policies with advice from organizations like Fishwise.
