A Newsletter for the Seafood Industry published by the Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing
September 2006
Florida Takes Top Honors at the Great American Seafood Cook-Off
A recipe featuring some of Florida’s all-time favorites -- snapper, shrimp, tropical fruit and citrus -- won out over submissions by 20 other premier chefs from around the country to capture top honors at the Great American Seafood Cook-Off held August 6 in New Orleans.
The Winning Entree
Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Chef Joshua Butler, Chef Justin Timineri, and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson, celebrate Florida's top honors.
Chef Justin Timineri was sponsored by the Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services through its Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing.
The panel of judges included two James Beard Award-winning chefs, Susan Spicer of Bayona Restaurant in New Orleans, and Shawn McClain of Spring Restaurant in Chicago. Rounding out the panel were: Donna Florio, senior food writer, Southern Living Magazine; Julia Rutland, senior editor, Coastal Living Magazine; Bill Hogarth, director, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and John Connelly, president, National Fisheries Institute.
In addition to Florida, the following states were represented at the Great American Seafood Cook-Off: Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Washington.
2006 Busan International Seafood and Fisheries Expo
In cooperation with the Southern United States Trade Association (SUSTA), bureau staff will be attending and staffing a booth at the 2006 Busan International Seafood and Fisheries Expo in Busan, South Korea.
The expo will be held at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO) November 16-19, 2006. This is a great opportunity for Florida seafood and aquaculture companies to strengthen their competitiveness in Asia and the Pacific Rim by making contact with the 23,000 international seafood buyers expected to attend.
The bureau is currently seeking Florida seafood and aquaculture companies to participate in the SUSTA booth at the expo. For more information about this event, contact Paul Balthrop at (850) 488-0163 or e-mail balthrp@doacs.state.fl.us.
Florida Seafood on Wheels
Florida Seafood Van
The Bureau of Seafood Marketing van has been given a facelift. The 1996 brown Astro van was transformed into a moving advertisement for tasty Florida seafood. Colorful graphics including the “Fresh from Florida” logo and various finfish and shellfish species were printed on a vehicle wrap, which covers the van with a beach motif. The www.Fl-Seafood.com web site is also prominently displayed.
The van is used by bureau staff members to make marketing calls to restaurants and retails markets throughout the state, along with traveling to Florida seafood festivals.
The van certainly attracts attention while promoting the message that seafood is best when it is “Fresh from Florida.”
Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Advisory Committee Meeting
On August 25, 2006, a member of the bureau staff attended the Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation, Inc., advisory committee meeting in New Orleans. Among items discussed was the bureau’s preliminary grant proposal “Market Analysis of Value-Added Oyster Products,” which has been submitted to the National Sea Grant College Program, Gulf of Mexico Oyster Industry Program. If awarded, the funds will be used for a one-year research and education project focusing on consumer and retail/restaurant buyer preferences and attitudes toward value-added oyster products.
Other items presented to the committee were details of a new oyster crop insurance plan. “If the program is approved, oyster farmers will have a tool to manage production risks and reduce dependence on ad hoc disaster assistance,” said Mike Voisin, Chairman of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force.
Florida Wild-Caught Shrimp, 2006 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival
Florida Shrimp Kiosk At Epcot
Visit the “Fresh from Florida” kiosk and experience one of the tasty wild-caught Florida shrimp dishes being served at the 11th annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. The festival runs from September 29 to November 12, 2006, and the bureau is participating for the fifth straight year.
The “Fresh from Florida” kiosk is prominently placed on the Epcot promenade between Mexico and the entrance to the World Showcase. The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is one of the largest gatherings of domestic and international visitors in the United States with over 1 million guests at the 2005 festival. Florida residents accounted for one-third of the festival-goers.
Participating in one of the culinary demonstrations featuring Florida seafood recipes can also be a memorable experience. These Florida seafood culinary demonstrations are free of charge from October 29 to November 5 at “Odyssey – The Chef’s Showplace.” Check your festival guide for specific dates and times to enjoy more Florida seafood. More information on the festival is available at:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/specialEvents?id=EpcotInternationalFoodAndWineFestivalSpecialEventPage
Cedar Key Seafood Festival
Cedar Key will host its 37th annual Seafood Festival on October 21-22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Bureau marketing staff will staff a booth and offer information on Florida seafood and aquaculture to the public while distributing brochures and recipes.
The family-oriented festival features over 200 arts and crafts exhibits and delicious fresh Florida seafood. Live musical entertainment will be provided throughout the town over the weekend. Also available is Open House at the lighthouse on Seahorse Key. Shuttle boats are available at the City Marina. For more information, call festival sponsors, the Cedar Key Lions Club, at (352) 543-9120.
