One hundred school caterers were surveyed at this year’s LACA the main event & via a e-newsletter to the LACA database. Some 82% of those questioned said they believed seafood is ‘fresher’ if bought frozen and 76% believe fresh and frozen fish are equally as healthy.
Adrian Greaves, foodservice director at Young’s Foodservice, said: “We are delighted that school caterers have such confidence in frozen seafood and recognise that with modern rapid deep freeze technologies, frozen fish is captured at pristine quality.
“It is really reassuring to see that caterers are recognising just how fresh and healthy frozen seafood is. From the results of the survey we can see that there is a clear preference for buying frozen seafood because of the nutritional benefits it provides to children.”
The research also demonstrated that variety was important as 95% of caterers said buying frozen expands the number of species available. Sustainability was flagged up as one of the benefits of buying frozen by 90% of caterers.
Greaves added: “We will continue to communicate our message that frozen delivers the freshest fish, from the results of the survey, we can see that there is a clear preference for buying frozen seafood because of the positive benefits it provides to education caterers.
“We’re delighted that our products tick all the right boxes and not only help with menu planning but also provide children with the best quality too.”