October is Seafood Month and we’d like to take a moment to highlight some of our star suppliers! Living in coastal Maine, we are lucky enough to have some of the finest and freshest seafood in the nation at our fingertips. Lynn, the manager of our Meat Department at the Blue Hill Co-op, works with a number of local suppliers and distributors to bring you high quality, ethically sourced seafood products that strengthen the local economy without compromising the health of the pristine coast that we know and love.
Day Boat Fresh in Stonington
Sue and Pete Buxton, along with their sons Joshua and Jared, have a deep history on Deer Isle and represent the fifth and sixth generation of island roots. Their familial legacy is intertwined with the maritime heritage and traditions of the region. Maine waters are renowned for yielding some of the world’s most exquisite seafood, unparalleled in freshness and quality. The state boasts stringent sustainability regulations and fisherman and dealers actively participate on advisory boards to ensure the preservation of the marine ecosystem. Stonington, ME, is one of the leading lobster ports in the United States and beyond lobster, day boat fishermen of this region harvest an array of other choice species, including scallops, crabs, halibut, and clams. Additionally, these fishermen also serve as custodians of aquaculture farms, cultivating delicacies such as scallops, Bouchot mussels, oysters, and seaweeds. Buxton Boats LLC specializes in sustainable fishing practices, ensuring that their catch is not only of the highest quality, but harvested in an environmentally responsible manner. With decades of experience in the industry, they have cultivated relationships with local fishermen to provide a diverse selection of seafood, including lobster, scallops, and a variety of other products. ‘Day Boat Fresh’ is Sue and Pete’s endeavor to deliver the essence of Stonington’s coastal bounty directly to consumers. Their team meticulously selects the freshest catches of the day, ensuring that each shipment embodies the unparalleled taste and quality for which the region is renowned.
A variety of fresh seafood can be ordered directly from their website: Blue Hill Bay Oysters and Gold Bouchot Mussels, Day Boat Atlantic Halibut, Downeast Maine Frozen Finnan Smoked Haddock, Live Stonington Lobsters (by the pound), Frozen Claw and Knuckle Lobster Meat, Stonington Maine Day Boat Fresh Sea Scallops and Stonington Maine Handpicked Peeky Toe Crab, as well as Downeast Maine Organic Blueberries. Buxton Boats LLC products are also available at many retail locations, including Blue Hill Co-op. The Co-op carries 8oz tubs of ‘Day Boat Fresh’ hand-picked Maine crab meat, year-round.
Photo courtesy of Chris Mullen
Chris Mullen at Mongr.net in Machias
A family operation and extension of his saltwater upbringing on Vinylhaven, ME, Mongr.net is owned and operated by Chris Mullen, his brother JP, and Chris’s son, Wolf. Chris has been fishing salmon in Alaska since 1988 and proudly brings this wild caught fish from Bristol Bay to Maine tables. Bristol Bay is legendary for the abundance of its salmon run, and for the way fishermen, scientists, and managers work together to sustainably harvest that abundance. Six pristine rivers welcome more than 35 million salmon each year to the Bay. This resource is carefully managed to maintain the fish runs and the thousands of families (like Chris Mullen’s) that depend on salmon for their livelihood. Every Bristol Bay permit holder is the owner/operator of a small family business, and they are all in it to keep the fishery going for a long time to come.
Mongr is committed to promoting sustainable and healthy fisheries and supports the efforts of the Downeast Salmon Federation to restore river habitat and runs of our native Atlantic salmon by donating 10% of profits to their cause. Salmon have a complex life cycle, hatching and living in fresh water for 1-4 years and spending 3 years in the ocean before returning to freshwater to spawn. The Penobscot River once saw up to 100,000 of the fish return each year to spawn, until dam building, overfishing and pollution resulted in the almost complete elimination of any migratory fish from the rivers. In 2019, 1,100 Atlantic salmon, one of the highest counts in years, were counted returning to the river — an improvement, but nowhere near the numbers once seen.
Sockeye salmon is a high-oil content species known for its rich flavor and distinctive deep red flesh, which retains its color throughout cooking. Chock full of vital nutrients, 3oz of sockeye salmon has 23g of protein, 158% of the daily value of Vitamin B12, 730mg of Omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, and 71% of the daily value of Vitamin D. Chris Mullen returns to Bristol Bay each summer, where he spends six weeks with his gillnets and crew to provide fresh and frozen salmon to his community in Maine.
Grindstone Neck in Winter Harbor
Carl, Kathy and their two sons (with some help from their local neighbors) run their family smokehouse – Grindstone Neck of Maine – in Winter Harbor. Located on the picturesque Schoodic Peninsula, the Smokehouse has a retail store on the premises where you can stock up on everything from juicy, smoky salmon (available in several styles) to smoked shrimp, scallops, mussels, oysters, trout, haddock, cheese, and spreads. They have a variety of beautifully handcrafted, smoked seafood available for order on their website and you can find the following select Grindstone Neck products at the Blue Hill Co-op:
- Both cold-smoked Wild and Atlantic sockeye salmon
- Smoked salmon cheese spread (which is a rich and creamy spread with smoked salmon, which is complemented by fresh lemon juice and Scotch whisky)
- Smoked Maine shrimp (with no added sweeteners, this Maine shrimp is smoked with Grindstone Neck’s exclusive cherry-blend hardwood to create an exquisite, subtly sweet taste with a delicate texture)
- Smoked Mussels (the smokiest Grindstone Neck specialty, these rope-grown, cold-water mussels have a characteristic nutty flavor and are a perfect dish on their own, as hors d’oeuvres, in salads, chowders, soups, and pasta entrees)
- Smoked Bay Scallops (carefully cured to maintain the sweet scallop flavor, the cherry-blend hardwood smoking process results in a darker color, milder flavor and an exceptionally smooth texture)
- Smoked Rainbow Trout
Maine Shellfish in Ellsworth
The Ipswitch Shellfish group’s Maine Shellfish delivery fleet is located in Ellsworth and recognizes the importance of sustainability in the seafood industry. They are dedicated to providing the highest quality seafood for customers and aim to be a resource for food service operations and retail markets to ensure they are making the best sourcing choices possible. Staff there are educated on the seafood certifications that the group holds, such as the Marine Stewardship Council Chain of Custody (MSC CoC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council Chain of Custody (ASC CoC) to ensure that everyone involved in operations understands and practices these commitments. They do not source from any fishery found to have IUU (Illegal, Unreported, or Unregulated) issues or that is currently on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list. Ipswich Shellfish Group is a founding member of Sea Pact and is dedicated to working with other like-minded seafood companies in North America to drive industry sustainability progress and help improve fisheries around the world in order to maintain a balanced and healthy ocean environment and keep providing for customers for years to come! Ipswich Shellfish Group is also a Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested partner and a member of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, and is committed to continuously improving the sustainability of the Gulf of Maine seafood industry and helping their customers to source Gulf of Maine Responsibly Harvested products. They are proudly certified by national and international food plant auditing firms such as the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program. The Blue Hill Co-op sources a number of our seafood products from Maine Shellfish in Ellsworth and values the extra effort they make to ensure that their products meet the highest industry standards of quality, safety, and integrity.
Ducktrap River of Maine in Belfast
In the 1970s, Ducktrap founder, Des Fitzgerald, located a spot of land on Kendall Brook in Lincolnville, Maine, and built a bungalow for himself and his dog to start a trout farm. In 1978, he built several water runs and began raising trout successfully, selling to local restaurants and markets. Ducktrap River Fish Farm (named after the Ducktrap River, which flows into Kendall Brook) was the origin of what has become a nationally recognized smoked seafood brand: Ducktrap River of Maine. Trout farming in Maine was demanding and the pressure from backwoods predators was constant, so Des decided to experiment with smoking some of his trout. His original smokehouse was the size of a small icehouse (roughly 4’x4’) and had an old wood stove buried in the ground inside it. He soon began selling his smoked trout at markets and was extremely well-received locally. Over the next five years, Des honed his recipes and techniques and began to preserve salmon and other species using his traditional European smoking methods, among which was a novel product at the time: smoked mussels. In 1991, Ducktrap expanded and opened a smoking facility in Belfast, Maine. In 2013, there was a facility expansion and, in 2018, there was an additional smokehouse opened in Belfast adjacent to the existing facility. Over the course of 40 years, Ducktrap River of Maine has expanded from two workers to over 100 employees. Des’s small trout farm has become a full scale 125,000 square foot smoked seafood campus. All four of Ducktrap River’s brands (Ducktrap, Kendall Brook, Winter Harbor, and Spruce Point) are sold nationwide. On their website, you can find a complete list of Ducktrap River’s brands and products, as well as a list of retail locations in the United States where they can be found. Be sure to check out the mouth-watering recipe corner on the website, as well. The Blue Hill Co-op is proud to carry a number of Ducktrap River of Maine’s quality smoked products, such as Cold Smoked Wild Sockeye Salmon, Smoked Trout Fillets, Smoke Roasted Sockeye Salmon, Smoke Roasted Atlantic Salmon, and Smoked Wild Mackerel.
Wester Ross Salmon
Although not produced in Maine, we use a local distributor to supply our fresh and frozen Wester Ross salmon. Hand-reared in the pristine waters of Scotland’s northwestern Highlands, Wester Ross Artisan Salmon is produced with the utmost care and dedication to traditional methods. This independent company prides itself on its sustainable farming methods and has been committed to minimizing its environmental impact from its beginnings. The salmon are raised without antibiotics, chemicals, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). By adhering to natural farming practices, they help protect marine ecosystems and promote long-term sustainability. Each salmon is hand-reared and cared for individually, which means less stress for the fish and better flavor and texture for consumers. By avoiding automated feeding systems and overcrowded pens, Wester Ross maintains healthier, stronger salmon. Wester Ross salmon is renowned for its firm flesh, rich flavor, and delicate fat marbling. The slow-growing fish are given time to develop naturally, which enhances their flavor profile. Whether smoked, grilled, or prepared fresh, the high-fat content and superior quality ensure an unforgettable dining experience. Restaurants and retailers across the world favor Wester Ross for its consistent quality, sustainable credentials, and traceability.
By Sarah Scamperlé, Marking Assistant
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