"It is Whole Foods Market's honor to celebrate our suppliers who have demonstrated fantastic cooperation, resilience, creativity and commitment to quality, rising to excellence in a year unlike any other," says Whole Foods Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Gafsi Oblisk.
Kvarøy Arctic fresh, frozen, and smoked salmon is available at Whole Foods Market nationwide. Kvarøy Arctic Smoked Salmon with Santa Barbara Smokehouse is rope hung and smoked using wood chips from the Santa Barbara area in an artisanal technique that preserves the delicate taste and tender texture of Kvarøy Arctic fish
The Supplier of the Year award is designated for Whole Foods Market suppliers that rise to the top in overall excellence. Kvarøy Arctic earned the Global Winner award in the Perishables category alongside FoodMatch and Solely for the Culinary Supplier and Center Store categories respectively.
"We are deeply grateful for this recognition from Whole Foods Market. In a year that brought so many unusual challenges to our supply chain, this award is even more meaningful. It's an honor that is shared with our entire team as they worked tirelessly to tackle issues head-on in order to have uninterrupted delivery during a time when transportation and cargo were unpredictable," says Kvarøy Arctic CEO Alf-Gøran Knutsen.
Since its launch in March 2020, Kvarøy Arctic has supplied its fresh and frozen sustainably raised Atlantic salmon to Whole Foods Market locations nationwide in the U.S. In October 2020, Kvarøy Arctic introduced a line of cold smoked salmon at Whole Foods Market co-branded with Santa Barbara Smokehouse. Carefully rope hung and smoked using wood chips from the Santa Barbara area, the artisanal technique preserves the delicate taste and tender texture of Kvarøy Arctic fish, resulting in smoked salmon with vegetative notes, natural citrus flavor and a buttery finish on the palate.
"Kvarøy Arctic is driven by a mission to provide the highest quality, sustainably raised salmon and make it accessible to as many people as possible. We value this award, which shows us that one of the nation's most loved retailers can rely on us to deliver on this promise and that their customers are loving the fish," says Kvarøy Arctic Vice President of Sales Chris Cumming.
About Kvarøy Arctic Kvarøy Arctic is a third-generation Atlantic salmon farm on the Island of Kvarøy along Norway's Arctic Circle. Led by CEO Alf-Gøran Knutsen, Production Manager Gjermund Olsen, and Operations Manager Håvard Olsen, the Kvarøy Arctic team is ushering in a new era of sustainability for salmon farming as a net producer of fish protein with a commitment to traceability and transparency through IBM blockchain technology.
Kvarøy Arctic is recognized as one of Fast Company magazine's "World Changing Ideas." It is the first farmed finfish to carry the Fair Trade USA seal, and is BAP, ASC and Global G.A.P. certified. The salmon has the merroir of Norway's cold, clear waters with delicate marine flavors and slight brininess. It is one of a small number of farm-raised fish certified by the American Heart Association's® Heart-Check program. Kvarøy Arctic is actively expanding its U.S. retail presence. It is currently available through domestic U.S. distributor Pod Foods, at restaurants, and through select retailers like Giant Eagle, Cherry Hill Market, Cox Farms Market, Acorn Acres, and Whole Foods Market U.S. locations.
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