The BigFish line of frozen salmon products from Grismsby, England-based JCS Fish is now distributed in redesigned paperboard packaging that has reduced the brand’s use of plastic by around 60% as dual polymer plastic bags have been eliminated.
Eye-catching pack front panels feature a vintage image of JCS founder Andrew Coulbeck that dates back about 25 years. He is appropriately pictured holding a very big fish on boxes containing frozen salmon fillets, breaded salmon bites and fish cakes.
The smiling fishmonger makes an encore appearance on side panels, along with the message: We heard frozen is the new fresh.”
“Our aim was to cut as much plastic packaging as possible and give the brand a refresh at the same time,” said Jack Coulbeck, commercial manager. “We’ve worked hard to find the most responsible supply chain for our salmon, so it’s only natural that we should also want to find the most sustainable packaging solution to put it in.”
BigFish is the first brand in the United Kingdom to commit to responsibly sourced fish through the GGN aquaculture label, which appears on all the new packs. JCS Fish is also the only UK seafood company so far to have made the source of all its fish fully transparent through the Ocean Disclosure Project.
Co-founder Louise Coulbeck commented: “Although Andy was initially reluctant for us to use his mugshot on the packs, the younger members of our team all thought it was great and we’re delighted with the new look. Given that times got pretty tough in March with the Coronavirus lockdown, we initially held back on our relaunch but now feel the time is right for some colorful new branding. It certainly looks good in the freezer and is a boost to our hardworking team, helping us all look forward – hopefully to some more cheerful times ahead.”
The new packs are already in stock at independent retail stores across Britain and are available online through Ocado and the BigFish website. The brand has seen an upturn of about 150% in its online sales since the start of the ongoing lockdown.
