The 2025 Seafood Excellence Global awards were announced recently during a reception in the Galleria of Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue at the 31st Seafood Expo Global (SEG), with finalists representing 15 different countries worldwide.
Of the 40 finalists that were selected this year, nine products were selected as finalists for Best Hotel/Restaurant/Catering (HORECA) Product, and 31 products were selected as finalists for Best Retail Product. Products were evaluated based on taste and overall eating experience, packaging, market potential, convenience, nutritional value and innovation.
The 2025 judges panel consisted of the following industry members: Paula Merrigan, Europe Purchasing Director at Wonderfield Group; Raul Cervera, Purchasing Director at La Sirena Seafood; Luca Grosoli, Category Manager at Sodexo Italia; Madeleine Hűffelmann, Private Label Buyer at Rewe Group; and Jonathan Rotge, Fresh Fish Buyer for Carrefour stores in France. According to SEG, the judges’ scores were verified by the auditing firm PwC.
Grand prize winners for 2025
The 2025 Seafood Excellence Global Awards winner of Best Hotel/Restaurant/Catering Product was Finland-based company Kalaneuvos Oy for its Trout Bacon. The product includes trout fillet slices that can be cooked like bacon in a pan, oven or air fryer.
According to an SEG press release, the judges panel highlighted the product’s great flavor and texture, nutritional benefits, and the versatility it offers chefs and recipe developers looking to offer meat-free options to their customers.
Meanwhile, the 2025 winner of Best Retail Product was Lithuania-based company Vičiūnai Group for its Cold-Smoked Atlantic Salmon and Truffles, which contains four slices of premium cold-smoked, dry-salted salmon infused with truffle aroma.
For this product, the judges panel highlighted the perfect balance between the salmon and truffle flavors, as well as the expert cut that includes just the right amount of truffle in each slice.
Four special awards
In addition to the two grand prizes, four special awards were also presented for innovation, convenience, retail packaging and for a seafood product line.
- Vičiūnai Group won the Innovation Award for its Cold-Smoked Salmon Loin with Black Ants, which includes smoked salmon topped with edible black ants, providing a striking visual appearance and a noticeable crunch to contrast the salmon’s rich and buttery texture.
- Frime SAU won the Convenience Award for its Tuna Pibil, a ready-to-eat tuna product made with slow-cooked yellowfin tuna and seasoned with pibil-style sauce and flakes and Mexican flavorings and spices.
- Vičiūnai Group won the Retail Packaging Award for its Cold-Smoked Mussels in Chili Oil, consisting of delicately smoked mussels packed in chili oil in a fully recyclable transparent jar.
- Isstormur efh won the Best Seafood Range Award for its shelf-stable fish meals, including Hawaiian Salmon Salad, Mackerel with Chickpeas in a Spicy Moroccan Sauce, and Tuna Risoni. The judges panel highlighted the products’ convenience, attractive packaging and overall quality.
Below is the list of finalists for this year, broken down by category:
| HORECA category finalists: | ||
| Finalists | Products | Nation |
| Espersen A/S | Prawn Burger | Denmark |
| Crustalicious BV | Raw Crab Paste | Netherlands |
| Freshpack | Breaded Shrimp with Tom Yam Sauce Filling | France |
| GlobeXplore | Flavour Beads “Intense” | France |
| Golden Eagle Black Cod | Farmed Black Cod | Canada |
| Golden Seabreeze GmbH & Co-Kg | Kind Crab Burger | Germany |
| Hätälä oy | Pulled Salmon Tex-Mex | Finland |
| Kalaneuvos Oy | Trout Bacon | Finland |
| Philips Foods, Inc. | Crab and Mozzarella Arancini | USA |
| Retail category finalists: | ||
| Finalists | Products | Nation |
| Espersen A/S | Fish ‘n’ Chips | Denmark |
| Angulas Aguinaga, SAU | Noodles with Prawns, Mushrooms and Oyster Sauce | Spain |
| Angulas Aguinaga, SAU | Mussels with Roquefort Sauce | Spain |
| ANNA Dutch b.v. | Sturgeon Burger | Netherlands |
| Dardanel Dis Ticaret Anonim Sirketi | Smoked Tuna Steak | Turkey |
| Fisher Farms Inc. | Stuffed Farm-raised Milkfish | Philippines |
| Frime, S.A.U. | Tuna Pibil | Spain |
| Frime, S.A.U. | Tuna Diamonds | Spain |
| Friotea, S.L. | Cape Hake with Potatoes and Artichokes | Spain |
| Greenland Seafood Europe - Sofina Foods | Fig, Whisky and Spiced Honey Smoked Salmon | France |
| Hätälä Oy | Flamed Salmon with Arctic Berries | Finland |
| Huitres Helie | Easy-to-Open Oysters | France |
| ICECO Fish | Royal Cut Salmon with Wakame Salad | Lithuania |
| ICECO Fish | Salmon Fillet Braid | Lithuania |
| ICECO Fish | Hot Smoked Mackerel With Cheese Sauce and Mushroom | Lithuania |
| Isstormur ehf | Mackerel with Chickpeas in Tomato Sauce | Iceland |
| Isstormur ehf | Hawaiian Salmon Salad | Iceland |
| Multi X S.A. | Ceviche | Chile |
| Philips Foods, Inc. | Seafood and Zesty Lime Empanadas | USA |
| Philips Foods, Inc. | Crab and Sweet Corn Empanadas | USA |
| Pickenpack Seafoods GmbH | Alaska Pollock Au Gratin | Germany |
| Suempol Sp. z o.o. | Salmon Nuggets | Poland |
| Suempol Sp. z o.o. | Salmon Meatballs with Mango-Chilli Sauce | Poland |
| Suempol Sp. z o.o. | Tandoori Masala Salmon | Poland |
| Van Duc Tien Giang Food Export Company | Smoked Panga Jerky | Vietnam |
| Vičiūnai Group | Surimi Octopus | Lithuania |
| Vičiūnai Group | Cold-smoked Mussels in Chili Oil | Lithuania |
| Vičiūnai Group | Cold-smoked Atlantic Salmon with Truffles | Lithuania |
| Vičiūnai Group | Surimi Octopus with Kalamata Olives and Peppers in Oil | Lithuania |
| Vičiūnai Group | Spicy Gyoza Dumplings with Surimi Baby Eels & Shrimp | Lithuania |
| Vičiūnai Group | Cold-smoked Salmon Loin with Black Ants | Lithuania |
Media and events company Diversified organized the awards and the Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global 2025 (SEG), as well as Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America (SENA), held in Boston each year, and Seafood Expo Asia (SEA), held in Singapore each year.
In addition to the Seafood Excellence Global Awards, Diversified also organizes the Seafood Excellence Awards (held at SENA) and the Seafood Excellence Asia Awards (held at SEA).
