Seafood firms prey on finger food fanatics to drive market

Unilever is aiming to raise the value of the £85M fish finger sector by £4.1M with its hand-held Birds Eye Mini Fish Fingers.

What might sound like an obvious brand extension was actually very demanding technically, as brand manager David Stratton explains: "The crumb [on the original fish fingers] wasn't stable enough to be picked up and eaten, so it had to be reformulated." Unilever has also had to invest in a new production line in Germany, because the standard fish finger lines could not manufacture smaller versions of the product.

The mini snacks are made of pollock, as Stratton claims cod is no longer sustainable. He says it will run out "overnight" if avian flu hits because consumers will demand cod as a replacement for poultry. However, the firm isn't going out of its way to let consumers know about its move away from cod. "Consumer recognition of pollock isn't high enough for it to be featured on front of pack yet, although this may change three or four years down the line," says Stratton.

Foil stand-up packs have replaced cardboard packaging in an attempt to make the product appear more "foodie", and Unilever is working on resealable bags.

The Big Prawn Company is also launching into the finger food arena with its Breakers range of seafood and sauce snacks. The 120g twin-pack compartment tubs are available in: Tiger prawns with a sweet chilli dip; Coldwater prawns with seafood sauce; Crayfish tails with a chilli and lime mayonnaise; and Mussels with a tomato and basil sauce. The firm says the range has many uses, from a healthy snack, to a luxury sandwich filling.