The world's best restaurants offer Norwegian shellfish

The world’s best restaurants offer Norwegian shellfish on their menu

One in four on the list of the 120 best restaurants in the world offer Norwegian shellfish on their menu. Exports of live shellfish from Norway are constantly rising.

The list of the 50 best restaurants in the world is presented at a solemn ceremony in Singapore. A few days ago, places 51 to 120 were announced. An informal survey conducted by the Norwegian Seafood Council among Norwegian exporters and distributors shows that as many as a quarter of the restaurants on this year’s list offer, or have had, Norwegian shellfish on their menu.

“This is pretty unique. It says a lot about the quality of the Norwegian shellfish. There are hardly any other origin-specific raw materials that have equally high penetration in this extremely exclusive and demanding market, perhaps with the exception of Champagne,” CEO of the Norwegian Seafood Council, Renate Larsen, states.

The export value increases with live, Norwegian shellfish

“We see an increase in shellfish exports, and much of this is growth in exports of live shellfish such as king crab and sea crawfish. Live shellfish is in high demand by the top segment of the restaurant industry,” Larsen explains.

Shellfish exports were worth NOK 1.75 billion in 2018, an increase of 14 per cent compared with the previous year. Volumes have remained relatively stable over the past 10 years, but the value has increased sharply over the past five years. Since 2013, the value of Norwegian shellfish exports has increased from NOK 726 million to NOK 1.75 billion, corresponding to an increase of 142 per cent.

Exports of live shellfish were worth NOK 400 million in 2018, an increase of 56 per cent in value compared with the previous year.

“The development we see in shellfish exports is a good example of how one can work to increase the value without increasing the volume. The actors within this part of the seafood industry have been targeted and skilled in their job, especially towards the top segment. That gives results,” Larsen concludes.

Shellfish as a spearhead for Norwegian seafood

The Norwegian Seafood Council works together with the part of the shellfish industry that aims at the so-called high-end segment with its products, to create meeting places for the industry and to showcase the fantastic raw materials. The awarding of World’s 50 Best Restaurants is one of the year’s most important meeting places for chefs and gourmets worldwide. ‘Seafood from Norway’ is the official seafood partner here.

“Our experience in working towards this segment is that Norwegian shellfish has a unique position among these extremely demanding and quality-focused customers. These people only choose the best of the best, are concerned with the history behind, and how, the raw materials are harvested. The feedback is that the Norwegian shellfish is incomparable on taste and texture. What’s more – the professionalism and quality focus of the production and supply chain in the Norwegian industry is crucial for the success,” Project Manager for shellfish in the Norwegian Seafood Council, Synne Guldbrandsen, informs.

The list of the 50 best restaurants in the world is determined every year in a grand ceremony with the food elite of the world present. On this year’s list, Nordic restaurants did very well. Danish Geranium and Noma ended up in 5th and 2nd place, respectively. Both of these restaurants have a high focus on seafood – and, naturellement, offer Norwegian shellfish on their menu.

See the complete list here.

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