A new wild fish brand developed by New England Seafood International is being well-received by consumers in the UK market, Leap Wild Fish Brand Manager Rich Lawrence told IntraFish.

Leap sells wild Alaskan salmon, smoked and filleted, as well as and yellowfin and albacore tuna products with a focus on highlighting the unique properties wild fish bring to the table.

The fish for Leap is mainly being processed in Chessington, UK, although New England Seafood also owns processing facilities in Grimsby.

New England Seafood was already sourcing high volumes of wild fish, but were looking for a better avenue to bring the product directly to consumers, Lawrence said.

In total, New England Seafood sources more than 30 species of wild and farmed fish and seafood from more than 40 countries. In 2017, the company reported a turnover of £151.5 million (€166.3 million/$184.2 million). Lawrence estimates Leap is a £5 million (€5.5 million/$6.1 million) brand, although sales have not been reported.

Leap was launched towards the end of 2017 in Planet Organic and Whole Foods, but is now also available in Ocado and Waitrose. The company aims to roll out to other supermarkets in the UK in the future, particularly customers of New England Seafood, which include Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s.

“We’re thrilled with the response so far. We’re building quite a compelling category story for the success of Leap," Lawrence said.

Marketplace

New England Seafood's wild fish brand leaps into more UK stores