The breakthrough brand utilizing ancient Japanese handling debuts at top restaurants and retailers this week, including Happier Grocery in NYC
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Seremoni Fish launches today, transforming the seafood landscape by delivering Michelin-star quality fish directly to local grocers and premier restaurants. This innovative brand shatters the norms of traditional seafood supply chains, introducing a new era of fish consumption that champions superior quality, unwavering sustainability, and complete traceability. At a time when the global seafood industry deals with increasing environmental pressures, Seremoni is elevating expectations by offering a profoundly better way to experience seafood—adopting a boat to plate obsession with quality.
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"Three billion people rely on fish as a primary source of protein (WWF), but as little as one in three fish actually make it to a plate in America (Guardian1). When I first heard this stat, having worked on a commercial fishing boat, I realized the reality first hand," said Saif Khawaja, founder of Seremoni. "Waste from spoilage and bycatch (catching the wrong fish while out at sea) puts pressure on fishermen to prioritize high-volume fishing with tight margins across the chain. While the U.S. is a leader in policy and sustainability, the reality is the framework of seafood, relative to other supply chains, still has catching up to do."
Seremoni Grade seafood is a new standard and philosophy for the very best fish. Each fish is handled with care on the vessel, using sustainable and humane gear in the style of ancient Japanese handling. The cold storage chain is meticulously overseen, with each fish's temperature monitored closely as soon as it leaves the water. Every package includes a QR code that shares the fish's journey from the ocean to the table, ensuring transparency and trust. All fishermen go through an educational program to learn a rigorous handling protocol to draw out and ensure the best flavor of the fish.
One of the innovations that Seremoni has adapted is the ancient Japanese Ike-Jime method. This precise handling method adheres to strict ethical standards and prevents the buildup of lactic acid and stress hormones that accelerate spoilage and degrade flavor. As a result, Seremoni's fish verifiably retain their pristine flavor, texture and nutritional value longer, setting a new industry benchmark for freshness and purity.
"We source from the best traditional Japanese seafood purveyors—it has been rare to see a similar level of quality with fish handled locally," said Shimpei Shinohara, executive chef of Sushi Zo DTLA. "Seremoni came along recently and significantly impressed us with the quality of their product."
The company supports fishermen with sophisticated tools to share first-class fish with more of us. Seremoni is structured as a cooperative with fishermen—by profit-sharing with producers, the price that chefs and consumers pay is proportional to the price fishermen receive, incentivizing delicate quality and care.
"In Japan, many parts of the food system remain traditional—the focus is to feed one person effectively and scale artisanal systems. It's not just a matter of taste or flavor but of vitality. In seafood, Japanese fishermen are so focused on the perfection of their craft, many chefs (and the fishermen themselves) consider it a privilege to buy their fish. It's a mindset of artisanship over extraction," said Khawaja.
"American consumers often pay the same prices at the grocer as they do at white tablecloth restaurants, yet the variability in quality is shocking—Seremoni standardizes access. My life's work is to democratize an artisanal level of care and craft here at scale in the U.S. like we have done in other meats. For better eating and healthier living," he further explained.
For launch, Seremoni is beginning with Black Sea Bass and Black Cod, which debuts on a variety of highly respected menus across the nation—with a restaurant distribution network of over 40 Michelin Stars. These exceptional offerings will soon be available to home chefs as well, with an exclusive launch in grocery at Happier Grocery and select nationwide distributors including Yama Seafood and E Fish, making culinary excellence more accessible than ever.
For more information about Seremoni and to explore their range of products, visit www.seremoni.com, watch their brand video, and follow them on Instagram.
ABOUT SEREMONI FISHSeremoni Fish (www.seremoni.com), powered by Shinkei Systems, is a new standard and philosophy for the very best fish. Their team develops sophisticated tools for fishermen to deliver Michelin-grade fish directly from boat to plate. Their proprietary handling enhances the fish's flavor, texture, and shelf life by minimizing stress at the time of capture and artisanal handling through the supply chain, ensuring unmatched freshness and quality. Partnered with top restaurants across the country like Atomix, Sushi Zo, Restaurant Daniel, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Clover Hill, Rosella, Café Carmellini and Kato, and available select grocery stores such as Happier Grocery, Seremoni sets the new standard for sustainability and transparency in seafood, offering consumers a fully traceable journey from catch to kitchen.
Press Contact: Kirsten Anderson, Krupa Consulting212-226-2922[email protected]
1 The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/21/have-we-reached-peak-fish
SOURCE Seremoni Fish