• The event featured a Sea Pavilion for the first time, represented by more than 25 companies. During the activity, space was also given to recognize outstanding workers from the industrial fishing sector.

Santiago, October 3, 2023. The eleventh edition of Food and Service, the most important professional food fair in Chile, took place last week at Espacio Riesco, and for the first time it featured a Sea Pavilion, where 25 representatives of artisanal fishing, industrial fishing, and marketers showcased their products to companies, suppliers, and the general public.

In that context, Blumar participated with a stand where different preparations were offered. Felipe Fuentes, Blumar’s marketing manager, values that the company “participates in the country’s leading food fair, since Blumar is not very well known by Chilean consumers and our intention is to reverse that situation, bringing first-quality salmon and jack mackerel to national tables”.

At the event, preparations were made with salmon, but also with jack mackerel, highlighting the freshness that this food, which is usually sold in cans, offers to consumers.

José Francisco Alvear, the chef who made the preparations, commented that he cooked jack mackerel in butter to highlight the flavor of the fish. “Fresh jack mackerel has a completely different flavor from canned jack mackerel, it has no preservatives, additives or enhancers, and it is very versatile and also nutritious”, he said.

Paulo Rojas, executive director of ProPescado Corporation, mentioned that the disposition of those approaching the stand was different when they knew that the jack mackerel was not canned: “What is happening with frozen jack mackerel is interesting. People are always very attracted to salmon, but everyone who tasted the jack mackerel marveled at that protein, which is always consumed in canned format. They realize that frozen jack mackerel prepared well turns out delicious”.

Awards

The fact that Food and Service, which received more than 31 thousand attendees, featured a Sea Pavilion in its eleventh edition was highlighted by Osciel Velázquez Hernández, president of the National Fishing Society and ProPescado.

“We have held the Fish Fair three times, but now they have opened the doors of Food and Service to us and we are happy. Furthermore, we participated in an awards ceremony for career achievement. There were crew members, industry workers, fishing captains and Blumar workers”, he commented.

The ProPescado Corporation award was given in four categories: Fishing Captain, Crew Member, Processing Plant Workers, and Chefs. The idea was to recognize workers from participating companies for their promotion of responsible consumption of sustainable fishing.

Two Blumar workers were recognized. Roberto Mancilla Gallardo, High Seas Fishing Captain, was one of them. “On behalf of all my fellow fishing captains, I feel very honored to receive this recognition”, he stated. For his part, Daniel Méndez Reyes, crew member of Blumar’s fishing vessel Don Alfonso, said he was “happy that the company nominated me and that I was awarded”.

José Ocares, Blumar’s Fishing Operations Manager, affirms that “it was very moving to see the reaction of our people, our seafaring people, when we do something that is very simple, but that we are often bad at doing, which is recognizing. They felt it from the heart and that motivates us to keep improving at that, to continue recognizing our collaborators for the great effort they have made. What fishing is today is thanks to those workers who for more than 20 years have been in fishing operations. It is a recognition that was needed, that they deserved”.