For many Canadian inlanders, the thought of canned seafood usually conjures up imagery of bland, lifeless chunks of tuna or salmon, typically reserved for last-minute lunches, road trips, and other emergencies.
But the craft of canning delicious and sustainability-focused seafood is making waves in Canada, and at the forefront of the movement is Toronto’s Scout Canning.
After spending the better part of the last year and a half transitioning from a small kitchen to a fully operational cannery, Scout Canning announced on June 9 that its lineup of artisanal canned seafood is now available to order across North America.
Scout’s chef-driven products are preserved in high quality oils, herbs, and spices. Its current lineup consists of Atlantic Canadian lobster, organic mussels from P.E.I. in a smoked paprika and fennel tomato sauce, and rainbow trout with dill.
Scout is the first seafood brand to source 100 per cent of its seafood from North American fisheries. The relationships that Scout and chief culinary officer, Charlotte Langley, have built with fisheries and sustainable farms help to ensure that their products are fed from natural sources and are never exposed to antibiotics, hormones, or overcrowding.
“Fisherpeople are the stewards of the sea, and by working alongside them, Scout has a deeper understanding of the relationships between ocean and fisherpeople,” chef Langley explains. “Our fishery partners are what make Scout’s product so unique and equally fresh and high quality seafood. They all meet the highest standard in sustainability, including reduced by catch and minimal ecosystem impact. We source from responsible fisheries that support their communities.”
In addition to supporting the ecosystems of the communities it works with, Scout’s production process and recyclable packaging actively reduces food waste, while decreasing its carbon footprint. Scout also reinvests 1 per cent of its annual sales to environmental causes through One Percent for the Planet.
“We created Scout with the mission to be the most trusted seafood brand in North America, while reducing food waste and protecting our oceans,” chef Langley continues. “We see canned seafood as a positive way to impact the fishing industry and ocean health for the better. Sustainability means renewability and the ocean is a renewable resource if we respect it and act as stewards for a renewable ocean future.”
Since expanding North America-wide, Scout has begun the process of product development with a number of West Coast fisheries, and expect to announce new products in the near future.
Scout Canning's lineup of artisanal canned seafood is now available across North America. Online orders can be placed through Scout and Food52.
