King Salmon crowned at food show

Nelson-based New Zealand King Salmon was tapped by the Star Chef Congress for its Culinary Innovation Award.

The Congress brings together top chefs and food decision makers from throughout the United States - the food world’s equivalent of fashion week. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) organised a group of New Zealand food producers to attend for the first time this year, and to their delight, Nelson-based King Salmon scooped up the prestigious award.

“This will give King Salmon a fantastic profile in the United States”, says NZTE’s Regional Manager for Nelson/Marlborough, Lynne Korcheski.

“It’s a high status award, and will certainly bring the company greater recognition and status.”

King Salmon was already one of New Zealand’s flagship exporting companies. It is the world’s largest producer of king salmon, considered the very best salmon in the world.

Although it represents only a small percentage of the total salmon market, king salmon is aptly named.  Not only is its taste and texture superior to other salmon, but the fish is flighty and easily stressed too  - its aristocratic ways making it notoriously difficult to farm.

King Salmon has successfully turned its isolated geographical position at the end of the world into a huge competitive advantage. 

“Having a product that’s clean and green is vital to us - not just commercially but also in terms of what we stand for”, says King Salmon’s Export Sales Manager, Graeme Tregidga.

The company grows its baby salmon in Golden Bay, close to Pupu Springs, the clearest water in the world. The fish are then transferred to the pristine waters of Marlborough Sounds, and eventually harvested using natural sedatives so that they remain unstressed - which is not only humane, but also greatly improves the quality of their flesh, Tregidga says.

The company refuses to use anti-fouling chemicals on its fish rearing nets. Instead, all nets are raised monthly and water blasted clean before air drying.

“We’re committed to sustainability, and avoid using chemicals, antibiotics and vaccines in raising our salmon”, says Tregidga.

That’s a key point of difference with their competitors in Norway and Chile, and extends to how they feed the fish too. In the wild, salmon scavenge. But in the farmed environment, the company feeds its fish natural protein.

“Part of our sustainable program is a move away from fish meal as a protein source and looking to replace this with more vegetable-based alternatives.”

Six of King Salmon’s team of 420 are devoted to new product development, and its innovative cuts and packaging - including kebabs, nibbles and meal portions - are proving popular both in the domestic market and Japan, Australia and the US. As a super-premium product, king salmon is not cheap. 

But its flavour and high oil content make it ideal for top-end restaurants, and it is even carving out a niche in premium steakhouse chains, where it caters for non-carnivores,Tregidga says.

“King Salmon’s commitment to the best possible clean systems and processes is exemplary”, says Lynne Korcheski.

“They are great ambassadors for clean, green, pure New Zealand.”