160 jobs saved as Paignton seafood company is bought

More than 160 jobs have been saved with the purchase of a Paignton-based company.

New England Seafood International has acquired the trade and certain assets of the Blue Sea Food Company from Kroll Advisory, who were appointed as administrators in early August.

The purchase secures more than 160 jobs at Blue Sea Food whose main crab processing plant is based at the Torbay Business Park off the Ring Road at Paignton.

The deal is welcome news for local southwest crab fishers, the wider British crab Industry and for the many customers that depend on Blue Sea for their regular supplies of British crab.

Blue Sea is the UK’s largest crab processor and annually buys more than 1,500 metric tonnes of live crab for cooking and processing at its Torbay operation. Its primary markets are in the wholesale and food-service space, although it has moved into retail supply in recent years. It also exports cooked whole crab to Asia and Europe under its Wild Bay brand.

The move marks a return to the shellfish category for NESI, which started its journey in 1991 as an importer and distributor of live lobster to the UK’s leading hotels and restaurants. Now part of the Woocheen group of companies owned by Alaska Native Corporation Sealaska, NESI is an importer, processor, category manager and distributor of a wide range of species, including tuna, wild Alaskan salmon, cod, haddock and sea bass. NESI has relationships with most of the UK grocery chains and several leading food-service customers, as well as its own brands, Leap and Fish Said Fred.

“In getting to know the Blue Sea team and business, we have been really impressed by the passion and energy for promoting British crab in the UK and around the world,” said Woocheen Global Seafood CEO Dan Aherne. “The opportunity to participate in a new species for NESI, applying the same consumer-led ‘plate to sea’ approach that we take to the other species that we offer, represents an exciting opportunity to create further category value.”

He added: “We are pleased to have been able to move quickly to secure the jobs at the Paignton operation and look forward to supporting the team there and working closely with the suppliers and customers of the business to forge a successful future for Blue Sea under NESI ownership.”

Blue Sea Managing Director David Markham said his company is excited about the possibilities that working with the NESI team will help unlock for Blue Sea as it begins this new chapter.

He said: “The last 18 months have been a particularly challenging period for Blue Sea Food Company, the company that we started 20 years ago.

“I am delighted NESI has stepped in with such enthusiasm and professionalism to create security for our people and for our processing operation, which plays a vital role in the UK crab-processing industry.”

He added: “It has been a very tough few weeks. We are happy that the business will continue and that the jobs are safe. So far so good with NESI support and I am sure the business will be able to grow and develop in a way that we simply didn’t have the cash available to allow for before.”

New England Seafood is an importer, processor and supplier of fresh and frozen premium sustainable fish and seafood to the UK and Northern European markets. It is part of Woochen, Sealaska’s global family of ocean health-focused businesses, and it is the UK’s leading importer of sashimi-grade tuna. 

The Marine Stewardship Council has awarded NESI Retail Supplier of the Year in the UK four times since 2018. This prestigious award starts with retailer nominations for leaders in sustainability. NESI’s customers include the UK’s leading supermarkets  as well as smaller retail outlets and leading sushi and healthy eating chains via its Joii foodservice division. 

NESI sources more than 30 species of wild and farmed fish and seafood from 37 countries worldwide, and its expertise lies in a passion for responsible sourcing and turning raw material into a delicious, hand-crafted product that is from a trusted source. 

The Blue Sea Food Company was incorporated in 2003 and opened its crab-processing doors in 2004, but its origins date to the 1980s. Blue Sea originally sold only to seafood wholesalers and exported to France before becoming the UK’s first frozen-crab exporter to Asia. It is now the UK’s largest buyer, processor and marketer of Devon crab and is the market leader in the food-service space. Blue Sea is dedicated to sustainable fishing, climate action, and animal welfare. Collaborating with conservation societies like the Marine Stewardship Council.