Seattle Fish Co. is excited to announce we are now carrrying a delicious new cured meats and charcuterie line: River Bear American Meats. Not only does River Bear offer an exciting portfolio of products, but it is also a Denver-based company owned by our friend Chef Justin Brunson (Old Major).
If you had the opportunity dine at Old Major, you know that Chef Brunson was always big on high-quality, locally sourced meat — it was even hanging in a window near the kitchen for customers to get a sneak peek of what might end up on their plate.
Brunson used that same approach to start his new venture. River Bear uses old-world techniques to make new world fresh and cured meats, many of which are sourced from family farms right here in Colorado. All River Bear pork products are:
-antibiotic-free
-hormone-free
-made with no junk and no fillers
“It took me forty years, but I’ve found my life’s calling. This is what I love doing,” he states. “It’s more than just a meat company; it’s almost more of a lifestyle brand” Brunson told Westword Magazine.
We’re here for it, Chef.
*Seattle Fish Company is proud to carry River Bear American Meats full charcuterie line & bacon. Ask your Seattle Fish Company Sales Rep for more information and to place an order today!
River Bear American Meats Charcuterie
We have two heritage breed lines of fresh and cured antibiotic-free (ABF) pork products including premium 100% Berkshire pork. Our fresh and cured beef products consist of our premium Wagyu line and Black Angus. All our meats are smoked over real hardwood grown in our home state – Colorado.
Charcuterie line includes: Spanish Chorizo, Spanish Lomo, Pancetta, Guanciale and more.
River Bear American Meats Bacon
Dry-rubbed and cured with our proprietary blend of herbs and spices, then smoked with pecan and peach wood.
Safety is one of Seattle Fish Company’s cornerstones. It’s even written on the walls throughout our facility; a visual reminder of just how vital our adherence to daily safety practices are. Our work around safety – both food safety (what we do to keep our products safe) and environmental safety (what we do to keep our people and customers safe) – represents our commitment to our customers, partners and community. In fact, safety is a focus for Seattle Fish Company and serves as a fundamental belief that helps us make decisions and guide behavior.
Our environmental safety program helps to reduce injuries, increase productivity, improve turnover, and even raise employee morale. Seattle Fish Co.’s food safety program is among the top in the nation, and also what separates Seattle Fish Company from the rest of the pack. But don’t just take our word for it – Seattle Fish is one of only 38 companies in Colorado, and the only seafood company, to have earned certification as a Level 3 SQF (Safe Quality Food) facility.
This level of safety doesn’t happen by accident, we have made a conscious decision to invest in raising the bar on safety including an entire team dedicated solely to making sure we follow (and exceed) industry food safety standards and personal safety practices.
Today we’re talking with Ken Boyer, Food Safety Quality Assurance Manager & SQF Practitioner, and employee of Seattle Fish Company for over 20 years.
Ken Boyer, Food Safety Quality Assurance Manager & SQF Practitioner
Q: Can you tell us a little bit about what you and your team do at Seattle Fish Company?
A: In a nutshell, we work to ensure that Seattle Fish Company is providing the highest-quality and safest product possible to our customers. We accomplish this by diligently following a seafood HAACP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) plan regulated by the FDA. In addition to following our HAACP plan, we’ve self-created many SOP’s, policies, and procedures on what our employees need to do and follow every day to ensure we are sending out only the best product. My Safety team is responsible for conducting daily safety audit checklists that consist of about 15-20 line items, including checking for proper rotation, and ensuring that all products are labeled and binned correctly in our warehouse. Perhaps our most important work is training and educating our staff on food safety and personal safety standards.
Q:What does a “typical” day look like for you? What kind of things are you working on or trying to solve?
A: As you may have guessed, there is no typical day. Every day is different and that’s one of the things I love about my job. On any given day, I’ll be doing a lot of monitoring and verifying. This means that I’m reviewing all of our quality and safety checks from the day prior, and ensuring that anything that needed to be resolved has been completed. I also make sure that SOP’s are being followed, so I complete daily warehouse walks and look for opportunities for improvement throughout the plant. There’s a lot of problem-solving and quick action needed. In addition to my daily work in the office, I sit on a number of safety-related boards and committees and have been chair of the Rocky Mountain Food Safety Conference.
I have a real passion for safety and enjoy working with other leaders in this space to promote safety across our industry, annd run a HACCP class on the weekends to certify others in best practices. I’m one of two instructors inside the state of Colorado licensed to teach this class.
Q: Has your role evolved since the COVID-19 pandemic? How so?
A: Yes! The Safety team has always done a great job of monitoring any industry or state changes to policy, but now we are also constantly following the CDC for recommended changes related to COVID. We also take and record temperatures daily and monitor for the correct use of PPE and social distancing throughout the facility.
Taking temperatures and daily monitoring / using PPE is not always easy or convenient, but our employees and customers appreciate the work we are doing proactively to keep people safe.
Q:What additional precautions has Seattle Fish Co. implemented during the COVID outbreak? Can customers feel confident that Seattle Fish Co. is prepared and taking every necessary safety precaution to keep them safe?
A: We developed and have been diligently using a crisis plan, a return to work plan, and actively educating employees on required PPE and social distancing. For any employees working inside the facility or outside in the field with customers, we are taking and recording temperatures daily. We’re also performing environmental (surface) testing throughout the plant and have implemented proper cleaning and sanitizing practices for high traffic and common areas. Lastly, we have a Safety Committee that meets weekly to discuss anything that came up that week and keep up with changing information.
All of these actions have created peer based accountability and support around how we act in this environment. That is ultimately something I am very proud – we are making safety cool again.
SEATTLE FISH COMPANY KANSAS CITY ACQUIRED BY CHICAGO-BASED FORTUNE FISH & GOURMET
On January 15th, 2020, Seattle Fish Company International Kansas City was acquired by Chicago-based distributor Fortune Fish & Gourmet. Seattle Fish Company (Denver) remains fully operational, and there will be no changes to staff, service, day-to-day business. Seattle Fish Company and Fortune Fish & Gourmet share many common ideas and believe in an overall mission to grow seafood consumption, which makes this acquisition the right fit and a mutually beneficial transaction for both companies.
Seattle Fish expanded into the Midwest market in 2003 and opened a state-of-the-art facility in Riverside, MO, 2015. It has operated as a seafood processor and distributor servicing the finest retailers, restaurants, and clubs in the region for the last 16 years. The company will be rebranded as Fortune Fish & Gourmet Missouri. Scott Godke, the General Manager of Seattle Fish Kansas City, was hired by Fortune International to continue to oversee the Kansas City operations. This purchase involves only the Kansas City operations of Seattle Fish and does not include the Denver-based processing or distribution operations.
James Iacino, Executive Chairman of Seattle Fish states, “This is a strategic and beneficial transaction for both corporations. Seattle Fish has called Colorado and the Midwest home for over 100 years. We are looking forward to continuing that legacy while making strategic investments in our core market.”
Seattle Fish Company International has been a part of the Colorado community and Rocky Mountain region for over a century and is looking forward to the opportunity this transaction offers to reinvest in strategic initiatives in its market.
If you have any additional questions about the acquisition, please contact:
Media/PR Contact:
Taylor Laitsch
Communications & Marketing Manager
Seattle Fish Company
303-810-7257
tlaitsch@seattlefish.com
About Seattle Fish Company
Seattle Fish Company is a third-generation family-owned company and Colorado-based business, proudly serving the Rocky Mountain region and surrounding states for over a century. Recognized for playing a major role in making fresh seafood available in the Rocky Mountain region; Seattle Fish Company transports and distributes sustainable seafood and gourmet provisions daily from around the world, providing products of the highest quality to over 1,400 restaurants and retailers. Seattle Fish Co. is dedicated to fostering sustainable fishing practices, including supporting local aquaculture farms, as well as fishery improvement projects around the world, ensuring that seafood as a healthful protein is available for all, for generations to come. For more information, please visit Seattle Fish Company’s website at www.seattlefish.com
We’re kicking off the New Year with two sustainable Whole Boat options! Call your Seattle Fish Co. Sales Rep or our friendly Customer Service team at 303-329-9595 to place your order today.
Seattle Fish Company believes in catching, growing and sourcing our seafood responsibly in order to ensure that our oceans are healthy for generations to come. Whole Boat is our weekly sustainable product program that highlights a fish or seafood item with a unique sustainability story to tell. This item may be bycatch or a lesser-known species, but will always be affordable and consciously sourced.
GOLDEN TILE Description: Tilefish, sometimes known as “the clown of the sea,” are colorful fish. Because their diet is mainly made up of shellfish, Tilefish have a delicate, sweet flavor similar to lobster or crab. Catch Method: Long Line Caught in the Gulf of Mexico by Captain Jack MBA Rating: Yellow (Good Alternative)
YELLOWEDGE GROUPER Description: Yellowedge grouper can be identified by the bright yellow color of its eyes and fin edges. A deep-water fish, Yellowedge Grouper has a mild but very unique flavor, comparable to a cross between Bass and Halibut. Cooked Grouper meat firm with big flakes, and holds its moisture extremely well. Catch Method: Long Line Caught in the Gulf of Mexico by Captain Jack MBA Rating: Yellow (Good Alternative)
JAMES IACINO, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, SEATTLE FISH COMPANY ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR 2020 COLORADO THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT ELECTIONS; DEREK FIGUEROA NAMED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
DENVER, CO. OCT 17, 2019 — James Iacino proudly announced his candidacy today for the 2020 elections for the U.S. Congress representing Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.
A third-generation Coloradan, James is the Executive Chairman of Seattle Fish Company, a business his grandfather founded in Denver, Colorado in 1918. Iacino started in the business when he was 16 by loading and driving trucks and worked his way up through the company, helping to grow the business along the way. Seattle Fish Company now employs over 170 Coloradans and Iacino has become a recognized leader both in sustainability practices and in the development and professional growth of his workforce.
James Iacino, Executive Chairman at Seattle Fish Company & Candidate for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District
Iacino has long been a steward of practicing sustainability, advocating for economic mobility, and the importance of social justice. He now has an opportunity to bring these issues to the forefront and represent the people and state of Colorado, as well as the seafood and restaurant industries, on a larger scale.
As Iacino turns his focus to his campaign, Derek Figueroa will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer and maintain the role of President. Figueroa will be responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of Seattle Fish Company, while continuing to stay focused on customer engagement, industry representation, and growing corporate leadership. Figueroa has been with Seattle Fish Co. for over 29 years and is committed to the success, growth, and sense of community fostered at the company.
Derek Figueroa, Chief Executive Officer & President, Seattle Fish Company
“It’s an honor to assume the role of CEO at Seattle Fish, a company with over 101 years of rich history, deep ties to the communities we serve, and a clear mission to further the consumption of sustainable seafood. I take immense pride in working alongside our team of dedicated employees and positively contributing, in conjunction with our partners, to our industry.”
Figueroa said that he looks forward to having Iacino as a legislator in office; someone committed to the industry with a strong position on sustainability who is willing to serve and represent seafood at the highest level of government. As CEO, Figueroa commits to continuing Seattle Fish Company’s legacy of thought leadership, environmental awareness, customer focus, and investment in its employees.
“We have rallied our employees around a compelling Leadership Aspiration to “Lead the Growth of Sustainable Seafood Consumption Throughout the West”. Seafood is an environmentally responsible, healthy protein, and Seattle Fish Company will continue to bring diverse industry stakeholders together and deliver positive change. This is essential not only for the future success of the seafood industry, but for the betterment of our environment and the health of people.”
About Seattle Fish Company
Seattle Fish Company is a third-generation family owned and Colorado based business, proudly serving the Rocky Mountain region and surrounding states for over 101 years. Seattle Fish Company sources, hand cuts and distributes sustainable seafood and gourmet provisions from around the world, providing products of the highest quality to over 1,400 restaurants and retailers. Seattle Fish Co. is dedicated to fostering sustainable fishing practices, including supporting local aquaculture farms and fishery improvement projects, ensuring that seafood as a healthful protein is available for all, for generations to come. For more information, please visit Seattle Fish Company’s website at www.seattlefish.com
