Frozen Is the New Fresh

If ever there was a Lent for seafood sellers to opt for buying and selling frozen seafood instead of fresh, it’s 2023. With labor, overall costs and supply chain issues continuing to hammer food operators and distributors, frozen seafood offers some welcome benefits that ease the pain. And customers are lining up to enjoy those benefits. As most food service outlets know, seafood sales soar an estimated 20% to 25% during Lent, and demand for seafood has been steadily rising overall.

Traditionally, seafood sellers assumed that buying “fresh” was a better move than frozen seafood whether during Lent or throughout the year. In recent years the scales—and sales—are tipped overwhelmingly in favor of frozen. 

Consider these statistics from just last year (March 2022):

• Frozen seafood dollar sales were significantly higher than fresh seafood—$605 million versus $505 million, respectively.

• Fresh seafood declined 10.4% compared to the same time the previous year.

• Frozen fish hit $296 million, up from $271 million in February, thought to indicate the growing trend favoring frozen over fresh during Lent.

• Frozen seafood dollar sales gained 5.7 compared with March 2021 and were 28.5% above 2019 pre-pandemic levels.

And, frozen seafood for Lent 2023 is expected to see even more significant leaps for a variety of reasons, including the six below.

1. Quality or ”freshness.” Of course, people buy fresh seafood because it is what it is—fresh. However, a process called IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) or flash freezing immediately preserves the overall flavor and freshness as well as multiple products individually in a single package so that only the required amount of product can be used and the rest perfectly preserved. Each piece of frozen seafood arrives with all its taste and flavors intact and can be served as needed.

Contrast this with the longer shipping times plaguing most supply channels. This can translate into hours and even days between catch and final delivery. The transport and storage delays that have become ubiquitous since COVID can mean that even the highest quality seafood can be compromised. 

Also, consider that a high percentage of fish consumed in the United States is imported, so the majority of this fish is actually frozen. With today’s flash freezing techniques that allow seafood to be frozen within minutes of being harvested, seafood that is frozen can often be the freshest option.

2. Inflation. No seafood seller can ignore this elephant—or whale—in the room. Fresh seafood, historically more expensive than frozen, is expected to widen the price gap this year. Frozen fish can be bought in bulk and requires less frequent delivery and easier storage, which can add significant labor and cost savings.

3. Waste. With a limited shelf life, unused fresh seafood must be discarded, which is like throwing hard-earned dollars down the proverbial drain. Meanwhile, unsold frozen options can be sold and enjoyed by consumers long after Lent is over. 

4. Availability. Today’s supply chain and labor shortages can leave retailers and restaurants running out of their best sellers during their biggest seafood sales season. Stocking up on frozen favorites is the best way to ensure they have what their customers want when they want it.

5. Labor costs. With multiple deliveries or even one a day, buying frozen in bulk reduces labor costs—and headaches— for seafood distributors and operators. Consider the points of contact involved in everyday delivery—from placing, transporting, accepting, and storing each order to the increased accounting and handling challenges. Compared with these, the costs of ordering bulk frozen are competitive.

6. Versatility. Restaurant owners can make shrimp cocktails, shrimp gumbo, and shrimp linguini with fresh shrimp recipes and dozens more delicious dishes. But to ensure fresh stays fresh, they have to offer them all within a two-day window, and we all know what happens if it doesn’t all sell. Frozen seafood allows sellers to seamlessly switch from appetizer to soup to salad to entrée based on what’s selling. The same is true for home consumers. They can use their frozen seafood stash as they see fit, depending on who—and how many—are coming for dinner.

So this year, when you place your seafood orders for Lent or any day, remember that this year’s freshest idea is frozen.