Southwest shellfish business secures valuable sales agreement

Inshore

Kush Shellfish with production facilities in West Cork and Co. Kerry has secured a lucrative sales agreement that will see the company supply selected Tesco outlets across the country.

Fourteen stores are now stocking Kush Shellfish 500g premium organic Irish rope mussels; the brand is also available in Dunnes Stores, SuperValu and Superquinn. Company managing director, John Harrington, says the new sales agreement with Tesco is a direct result of the growing consumer demand for premium quality Irish shellfish.

“Within the domestic market, we’re seeing a phenomenal increase in demand for excellent quality Irish shellfish. In fact, over the past three years, there’s been a huge revival of interest. Previously, we had been mainly dealing with the continental European market, but now more and more of our business is in the home market”, he explains.

He puts down this reawakening on the home market to a more adventurous approach to food choices coupled with better communications throughout shellfish sector:

“In the past, many Irish consumers [were] a bit wary of preparing shellfish in their own homes. There was a sense of apprehension about the prospect of cooking and serving shellfish, as well as anxiety with over the best way of assessing the food safety aspect.”

He added that the shellfish sector should also be credited for the increase in popularity as it responded to consumer needs. Here at Kush Shellfish we’ve been very proactive in developing convenient packaging and easy-to-follow instructions that make homepreparation perfectly simple,” he said.

Kush Shellfish was awarded GT Certification for its organic rope mussels and for overall high standards of shellfish production. The company also operates strict biotoxin standards overseen by the Marine Institute of Ireland. Based on the Beara Peninsula where West Cork meets County Kerry,

Kush Shellfish is now undergoing expansion. “As a result of the new sales agreements with Tesco and other Irish supermarket multiples, we’re now working with other approved shellfish farms on the peninsula. “Growth of the domestic shellfish business is not just great for Kush it’s also excellent news for our employees and our quality approved partner shellfish producers.