Foodstuffs has announced that they have acquired Leigh Fisheries, one of New Zealand’s most reputable, independent seafood companies. The purchase enables the co-operative to ensure a ready supply of premium, New Zealand caught fish for its New World, PAK'nSAVE and Four Square stores and well as its Gilmours wholesale customers.
Foodstuffs CEO, Chris Quinn said that the company is continuously on the lookout for new ways to please their customer and providing sustainably sourced fish and great value is another way of doing this. “Leigh Fisheries is a fantastic New Zealand business with strong environmental values, a world-class brand, and a promise to guarantee customers the best quality fish on the market. Their ‘Lee Fish’ brand gives customers another compelling reason to shop with us and is an exciting point of differentiation for our seafood story.”
Dave Jose, Foodstuffs national seafood manager, has played a key role in the Leigh Fisheries project. “As a passionate advocate for excellence in this category, we definitely put our best foot forward to secure this sale in the best interests of our customers,” said Jose. “We were attracted to Leigh Fisheries for a number of reasons, not the least of which is their commitment to quality and sustainability. This purchase will better enable us to supply snapper, tarakihi, hāpuku and line-caught tuna for our customers.”
A leading supplier of longline premium chilled fish, Leigh Fisheries has one of the largest independent holdings of quota in New Zealand along with lobster and tuna allotments. The company is unique in its ability to catch, process and distribute fresh fish to customers in New Zealand and across the world. Fish are caught domestically and processed at the company’s facility in Leigh before being delivered to domestic and international destinations; typically ending their journey in top restaurants less than 48 hours after they were taken from the water.
“A great customer seafood experience results from a quality range and consistent supply, so the prerequisite for this is quota ownership. This acquisition further extends our ability to meet growing customer demand for fresh, premium, sustainably caught species. Our customers will get to take the seafood journey with us, as we look to unlock the story of provenance, sustainability and kaitiaki behind our quality New Zealand seafood,” said Jose.
Leigh Fisheries Ltd (LFL), also known as, ‘Lee Fish’, was founded in 1958 in Leigh, New Zealand. Today, Lee Fish is still run from its historic home where they currently sell into more than 300 of New Zealand’s top restaurants and international markets.
Once the deal is complete, Lee Fish will be introduced to customers instore from 1 August 2019.
