4 | Mussels from the Sue Russell A family owned and operated business harvesting sustainably grown greenshell mussels from farms around Forsyth Island on the outer of the Marlborough Sounds, has pioneered a way to preserve all the unique taste and goodness of this gift from nature. In 2003, Chris and Trish Redwood, along with Trish’s siblings Jo and Sandy O’Connell established Omega Seafood and P.H.R. Processing Ltd, named after Chris’s father Pembroke Henry Redwood, who decades before, saw the potential to commercially farm and process mussels. Today, from those humble beginnings, Omega Seafood has grown into a second generation business producing 500gm and 1kg vacuum-sealed gourmet cooked mussels and littleneck clams for export all over the world. The factory, located in Blenheim, operates 10 months a year, with a shut-down in July and August when there are no mussels available for harvest, however sufficient stocks are stored to ensure orders can be processed all year. Lizzie Redwood is Omega Seafood’s Sales and Marketing Manager, overseeing both domestic and export sales. She is involved in the customer management side, making sure the process from order to production to them getting their product is seamless. “We export in 20ft and 40ft container lots and require a four to six month lead time to fulfil orders. Exporting is our main activity with 80% of orders shipped overseas,” says Lizzie. Domestic consumers can also purchase packets of mussels and clams through an on-line shop, accessed from Omega Seafood’s website. Harvesting of mussels is contracted out to Clear Water Mussels. Stringent consenting regulations over-ride establishment of mussel farms in the Sounds. Mussels processed are sourced from farms owned by the Redwood family as well as farms established by others in the industry. Mussels are quite fussy. They don’t thrive growing in heavy tide waters and Lizzie says that for nearly the last 20 years her parents and other AQUACULTURE » Omega Seafoods investors have been looking at submerged mussel farms, farmed under the water with huge anchors to maintain stability. The mussels are graded in Havelock before arriving at the factory, where they are scrubbed, partially debearded and then placed in USFDA approved non-BPA plastic pouches. These are then vacuum sealed and delivered to a large pressure cooker, where all the natural juices and nutrients are preserved. The vacuuming process eliminates any O² from being trapped inside. “It’s almost like a canning process and chefs love them because they eliminate cooking time, are easy and safe to handle and can be stored frozen or chilled, in the case of mussels and chilled for the clams, for extensive periods of time. All the storage information is supplied on the pack.” Lizzie’s brother Patrick also works for the business. His roles include overseeing the numerous compliances and audits undertaken by MPI and required by export customers. Omega Seafood also contracts its own food safety experts who assess all aspects of processing. Markets such as throughout Asia and the USA have proven particularly strong and newer markets such as Mexico, Canada and the Middle East are growing. Clams are sold predominantly to the local market, however Omega Seafood has long sold the product into Dubai. Lizzie’s job involves extensive amounts of travel, taking the message to market, of the unique qualities and benefits of using their mussel and clam offerings. Parents Chris and Trish have also used the business to create meaningful ways to contribute to the community through sponsorship and enabling events and programmes to take place. A good example of their generosity was funding their own factory staff to engage in numeracy and literacy courses to increase their confidence and ability to advance in the company. The company also supports the equestrian community and Seddon School. “The programme for our staff was a wonderful success and very empowering for our employees whom we value very much.” “Exporting is our main activity with 80% of orders shipped overseas.” Omega Seafoods produces 500gm and 1kg vacuum sealed gourmet cooked mussels. Trish and Chris Redwood in 2004 when they launched Omega Seafood. 45 Queen Street, Blenheim Tel: 03 578 3386 Email: support@tva.co.nz | www.tva.co.nz
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=