After reading a recent article published in USA Today, (‘Shrimp fraud’ rampant at many Gulf Coast restaurants, new studies find),I felt compelled to share my story and why I feel strongly about serving American seafood.
My family has been in the seafood business for generations, cultivating a deep-seated knowledge and passion for the industry. My grandfather was a fisherman, as were uncles and cousins. In 1986, Hurricane Kate destroyed our oyster beds and forced us to transition to the restaurant business. Seafood has remained a central component of our business all through the years. It has been our mission to use our history and family contacts to source the most consistent quality seafood we can find.
Unfortunately, The BP oil spill, coupled with increasingly active hurricane seasons, necessitated us (as well as most restaurants serving seafood) to explore new avenues to maintain our commitment to providing high-quality seafood. This led us to consider imported seafood options, a decision driven by necessity and a steadfast dedication to upholding our standards of excellence.
While Asian farm-raised seafood often carries a poor reputation, we have found that South American and Canadian farms produce a commendable product. Our focus has always been on quality and consistency, not merely price. We are reassured by the government’s robust regulations on imported seafood, which play a crucial role in maintaining the standards we strive to deliver to our valued customers.
The Wharf oyster dish
For years, we have used both domestic and imported shrimp that were amazing and consistent products. However, a few months back we visited T&E Seafood, which supplies our oysters, in Irvington, AL. While there, we decided to also travel to Royal Lagoon Seafood in Theodore, AL. It was shocking to see the many shrimp boats that were tied in the bayou and offered “for sale”.
We did some research and discovered that over 90% of the shrimp products consumed in the U.S. today are imported and it is putting local fishermen out of business. This was particularly heartbreaking to us.
As a company, we gathered our management team and went on a mission to find a way that we could help undo this trend. What we came up with was to change our entire seafood menu to consist of domestic products. The only items still imported are Mahi-mahi from Peru and occasionally snow crab from Canada. By doing this, we feel we are doing our small part to help bring jobs back to local fishermen.
There are a few differences between domestic and imported shrimp: cost is higher; product is slightly less consistent as imported, so sizing may vary a bit; the texture of shrimp is more like lobster than you are used to; the “cook time” is shorter; and domestic shrimp are machine peeled, which removes the tail.
If you are served “tail on” shrimp in casual restaurants, they are most likely imported shrimp. They also have a completely different taste. We remain committed to serving domestic seafood, but we have received many complaints since the shift. Most Americans have gotten used to the taste of imported shrimp. Even my wife, who ironically is not a big seafood eater, doesn’t like the domestic shrimp as much as she liked the imported shrimp.
Wharf Casual Seafood on Mahan Drive in Tallahassee.
We are so serious about using domestic seafood that we even took Basa off the menu. This was one of our best-selling, and most profitable products, but it was a Vietnamese product. Nothing is more important to us than our integrity and we will never mislabel our products, and we won’t lie.
We strive to provide “fresh” seafood, when possible, but the reality is, frozen is often a better product. Thirty plus years ago, seafood (most food) was frozen as it got old to keep it around until it could be used. That is not the case today. Products are frozen immediately (sometimes on the boat) and that makes a much better-quality product than even fresh, that has traveled a few days before reaching our stores.
As a company, we use up to 45,000 pounds of shrimp per month. That takes planning to have that much available and fresh, which means sometimes frozen is better.
A final issue I’d like to address has been around for many years: Serving Florida Gulf Grouper. We have always been up front about when we do and don’t have grouper. Our price (the wholesale price we pay) for Florida Gulf Grouper right now is $20 per pound! We’ve had complaints about the price and heard comments that other restaurants have it cheaper. Let me be perfectly clear. If you are getting grouper for less than $20 per plate, you are either not being served Florida Gulf Grouper or it is a loss leader for that restaurant.
There is more than one gulf in the world, so many will say gulf grouper, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you are getting a domestic product. If you see it for less than that price, it is likely coming from either Mexico or Indonesia.
We remain committed to our legacy of excellence in the seafood industry, continually adapting and evolving to meet the challenges of today while honoring the traditions of our past. This is a decision that makes sense for us because of my family history. As I’ve mentioned multiple times, there are quality imported products that are just as good, but they need to be labeled accordingly.
Stephen Duggar
Stephen Duggar was born in Tallahassee to a family in the seafood industry. He later went on to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. He is owner ad executive chef at Wharf Casual Seafood.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Why transparency in the seafood industry is important | Opinion
