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Seafood pioneer Lofoten challenges the well-established mackerel category with 3 new mackerel varieties.
Mackerel is a fantastic fish that we Norwegians have a proud and long tradition of fishing and using in our dishes. Mackerel has a great potential for variation in taste and cooking. The size of the fish, where and when it is fished during the year, has an influence on the quality. Lofoten has tested over 100 flavors and wants to reflect this on the shelves.
- Quality and innovation are important to us. Lofoten is a pioneer in seafood with a focus on a high content of fish. Using simple processes, we have made tests of mackerel with various tomatoes and spices. We have implemented hundreds of different combinations over the last year before we were satisfied with both the quality and the taste of the products. We want to make a “splash” on the mackerel shelf, says Øystein Rist, General Manager in Lofoten.
Today, approx. 50 million cans of mackerel-in-tomato are sold in the Norwegian retail market. Lofoten has the ambition to sell 3 million cans in the first year.
- It is an ambitious goal, but we have faith that we will make it happen by prioritizing Norwegian raw materials and production - and of course the taste. The consumer tests which have been carried out have given us great faith that we have found the right taste. But this is a very addictive category, so the most important thing for us is that people actually break with old habits and taste the new products, says Rist.
To succeed with the launch, Lofoten is investing in both visibility in stores and in media.
Mackerel fillet in tomato in packages of 170 grams and 110 grams
Mackerel fillet with smoked seaweed from Lofoten in packaging of 110 grams
Mackerel fillet with spicy tomato from Lofoten in 110 grams
The products are produced at Gjerdsvika outside Aalesund, from wild-caught Norwegian mackerel. The mackerels are fished in autumn and winter when the quality is best and the Omega-3 content at its highest. The tomatoes are from Portugal and have undergone a very gentle heat treatment, which means that they retain color, texture and sweetness in the tomatoes.