The Role of the Intrapreneur – Aquamar on the NexxtLevel Brands Podcast

Have you ever wondered exactly what’s in that “imitation crab” meat that is available in every grocery store? This same ‘imitation crab’ is also in every California sushi roll, seafood salad, and many other prepared seafood dishes. It’s “surimi.” Surimi is real fish, made from wild-caught Alaskan pollock/whiting. It first appeared in the U.S. in the early 80s, when it was brought over from Japan and became a staple in North American grocery retailers.

My guest for today’s episode lives and breathes surimi every day.  Daryl Gormley is the CEO of Aquamar Seafood. They produce only the highest quality and sustainable surimi products in styles that meet the needs of food service, retailers, value-added processors, and consumers.

Aquamar® has decades of surimi seafood experience, proprietary production technology, and operational efficiencies to manufacture premium quality surimi seafood products.  Its mission is to provide the highest surimi product quality and value while building customer satisfaction through superior service.

I talk with Daryl about surimi and its history, how it is made, the sustainability and low cost of this healthy protein, and the many possibilities for utilizing surimi globally to make healthy sustainable protein more accessible – both to everyday consumers and to those who are food insecure.

The “NexxtLevel Brands Podcast" is hosted by G. Steven Cleere, Founder and “Chief Pot Stirrer” of NexxtLevel Brands. This show focuses on disruptors and thought-leaders from the Entrepreneurial Food, Beverage, and CPG Industry, but we also share tips from veterans and key suppliers that may help fellow CPG professionals achieve their goals.

Discussion Points

• What exactly is surimi?
• Daryl’s background and path to CEO of Aquamar
• The seafood industry is very different than other food industries
• Aquamar has unique advantages – sourcing and consumer focus
• Aquamar focuses on developing options for consumer needs
• The fresh fish left over after filets are taken = surimi
• Surimi appeared in the late 70s, and early 80s from Japan, thousands of years of history
• Can surimi be a ‘gateway’ to loving seafood?
• Not much innovation in its 40-year history
• Where/who is Aquamar targeting with sales?
• How the pandemic affected Aquamar
• Aquamar’s plant-based product line, and cellular meat 
• Food insecurity, lack of access to healthy protein
• Food waste and how to change our processes
• Words to grow by: “Persist!” especially for entrepreneurs!

Resources:

Daryl Gormley LinkedIn

Aquamar Seafood Website

NexxtLevel Brands Website

Steven Cleere LinkedIn