April 27, 2023 - Brunswick, Maine
Maine Coast Monkfish Stew, a product of the Maine Coast Fishermen's Association (MCFA) was recently awarded a 2023 Good Food Award. The San Francisco-based Good Food Foundation awards the Good Food Awards each year based on criteria including taste, sustainability, and local sourcing. Maine Coast Monkfish Stew was chosen from over 1750 submissions to receive this prestigious award.
Maine Coast Fishermen's Association is a non-profit that works to identify and foster ways to rebuild the fisheries of the Gulf of Maine and sustain Maine’s fishing communities for future generations. MCFA worked with Hurricane's Premium Soups and Chowders of Greene Maine to create Maine Coast Monkfish Stew as a way to introduce consumers to monkfish and to create revenue for its Fishermen Feeding Mainers (FFM) fish donation program. The Stew combines sustainably harvested Maine monkfish with local potatoes, carrots, cream and lobster stock to create a flavorful and nutritious meal that is ready to serve.
All proceeds from sales of Maine Coast Monkfish Stew directly support MCFA's Fishermen Feeding Mainers fish donation program where MCFA purchases fish from Maine fishermen at a fair price and donates it to schools and food banks throughout the state. Over the last two years, the program has donated over 800,000 seafood meals to over 60 community groups from Millinocket to Kittery and kept more than 15 boats fishing for sustainably harvested local seafood.
MCFA’s Executive Director, Ben Martens notes that, “This project and award would not have been possible without the Maine’s fishermen who land some of the best some of the best seafood in the world and the amazing team at Hurricane’s Premium Soups and Chowders who developed the recipe and produced the stew locally in Greene, Maine. We are thrilled to be able to share this award with them.”
MCFA will be celebrating this honor at an upcoming event at Freeport’s Maine Beer Company, one of 6 other Maine companies to win Good Food Awards. The free event, which is open to the public, will be held on May 4th from 6-8pm at Maine Beer Company and will include tastings by the winning companies and organizations.
Maine Coast Monkfish Stew is available for purchase in a frozen 16 oz. heat and serve pouch, and in larger ½ gallon pouches for restaurants, caterers and events. The boxed product can be found at over 60 locations throughout the state including many seafood retailers and 11 Hannaford stores.
A complete list of sales locations can be found here - www.mainecoastfishermen.org/monkfishstew.
