When is a fish not a fish?

A vegetable-based alternative to traditional tinned fish and seafood

The Opportunity

Many people are reducing their consumption of meat and fish out of concern for sustainability issues related to both industries. But that leaves a lot of room ‘on the plate’ for alternatives to fill the gap in terms of taste, texture and experience. Seed To Surf saw the opportunity to create an alternative to canned fish and seafood using whole vegetables in an imaginative and flavourful way.

The Challenge

Seed To Surf had developed an early prototype of three canned fish and seafood products. But they were a long way from launch. They needed to refine recipes, explore manufacturing capabilities, determine pricing, suppliers and more to ensure that the product was feasible, and could be backed by a solid business plan.

NPC’s Solution

NPC provided Seed To Surf with over $9000 to conduct the work with an experienced consultant. They refined the recipes, confirmed manufacturing specifications, established suppliers, and distribution and pricing models, leading to a more fulsome business plan. The company used this as a platform to attract additional capital and partners, including Whole Foods who invited them into the start-up program, leading to their recent listing in Whole Foods across the USA – a huge accomplishment for a relatively early-stage company.