Cast off the winter blues and set your sales for blue whiting. With spring on the horizon, fish is swimming onto restaurant radars. Here’s why a fish focus on menus can help address market dynamics.

Cod is a popular and cost-effective whitefish, but these days, it’s not rising to the surface quite as often. When fishing for a potential alternative, restaurants can test the waters to the south. Sourced from subantarctic currents east of New Zealand, Southern Blue Whiting is a healthy, low-fat whitefish with a delicate texture and mild flavor, offering guests tasty versatility, while providing value and convenience to operators — a fintastic selection for the Lenten season.

Fish Story

Let’s do a quick dive into the numbers. According to Datassential, just about half of menus across the country use the simple term “fish” to describe whitefish items such as Fish & Chips, Fish Tacos, or a Fish Sandwich.

And the reason is not some drawn-out fish tale. Within seafood, availability fluctuates, so it’s important for restaurants to have sourcing flexibility. As far as fish comfort items go, guests usually don’t get caught up in species specifics — they’re looking for reasonable price points that fit their budget. This enables you to focus on preparation and flavor, knowing you have a little inventory protection.

Southern Harmony

One of the great fishing grounds near New Zealand, the Chatham Rise is a somewhat shallow section of ocean floor where warm, subtropical surface waters and cold subantarctic waters meet to form a subtropical front — thriving conditions for plankton.

There, Southern Blue Whiting, with their slender, moderately rounded bodies, form large schools near the seabed in the daytime. At night, they rise up through the water column to feed on the ample plankton. This is where the first blue whiting fisheries in the world received Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification — the highest standard for sustainable fisheries.

Treasure Trove

Often compared in taste and appearance to cod or pollock, Southern Blue Whiting fillets have a sweet, delicate flavor with a light, firm, and lean texture. Empire’s Treasure® New Zealand Southern Blue Whiting Fillets, for example, are conveniently packaged to help prevent food waste and save on labor. In fact, it’s estimated these fillets can save around 40% in costs compared to similar cuts of cod. The phenomenal sources of protein are also consistent in flavor, appearance, and texture, for the right performance every time.

Even more exclusive, Empire’s Treasure Beer Battered Seafood is produced in partnership with Portland, Maine’s Shipyard Brewery Co. — the award-winning Export American Golden Ale handcrafted by a team of brewers who learned their art from world-renowned master brewers. Hints of malty sweetness and distinctive hop aromas create a spectacular beer batter, complemented by the slight sweetness of garlic. For menuing, the beer battered whiting can be cut into strips and placed in warm flour tortillas, topped with charred corn pico de gallo and a drizzle of cool lime crema, or you can experiment with these dynamite Boom Boom Crispy Fish Tacos.

Create a Crispy Fish Mexicali Bowl with the whiting laid atop a bed of cilantro lime rice, with shredded lettuce, black beans, crispy tortillas, and a swicy pineapple habanero salsa. Or add some Asian-inspired zing by splashing a chili crisp-infused sweet thai sauce on the Southern Blue Whiting, served with a fresh salad that features quinoa.

There’s a blue light at the end of winter’s freeze — let Southern Blue Whiting hook guests with healthful properties and easy execution during Lent.