The UK consumer products team of salmon farmer Mowi has signed a deal with supermarket retailer Sainsbury's to supply it with a range of pates -- a win for the group's growing value-added division.

The development team at Mowi created five fish pates, which will be supplied to Sainsbury’s under the new contract to sit alongside its range of meat pates.

Sold in 100-gram portions and available beginning in March, consumers will be able to select from two salmon pates (one of which will form part of Sainsbury’s higher end "Taste the Difference" range), one tuna pate, one mackerel pate and one crab pate.

“This new contract with Sainsbury’s is a really important step in the evolution of our site at Rosyth," said Jonathan Jordan, senior national account manager for Sainsbury’s at Mowi Consumer Products UK.

"We are best known for our range of smoked salmon products and prepared fillets of salmon, but the mixing and blending of pates brings a completely new competency to Rosyth. It is great news all round and means we can really continue to innovate, grow and evolve this category."

The contract will see further investment at Rosyth both in equipment and in staff training to create the new range.

Mowi's consumer products division has been ramping up since COVID-19 drove up demand for value-added retail product on international markets.

The division represented a bright spot on the salmon producer's fourth quarter financials, released Wednesday, managing to almost overcome abysmal salmon prices with record high earnings of €35 million ($42.3 million) for the quarter and €82 million ($99.1 million) for the year.

Of this, retail sales were up around 20 percent, with increased penetration across both new customers and existing.

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Mowi strikes deal with UK retail giant Sainsbury's for new seafood product range