Bidfood and Direct Seafood scoop wins at MSC UK Awards 2023

Wholesaler and distributor Bidfood, and frozen and fresh fish supplier Direct Seafoods of Bidfresh, scooped the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) UK Foodservice Wholesaler of the Year award for their focus on seafood sustainability.

The awards ceremony, now in its tenth year, was held yesterday evening (26 October) at the Fishmongers' Hall in London and celebrates the achievements and performances in sustainable fishing across the UK.

The two businesses operate under the parent company Bidcorp UK.

Andrew Selley, CEO of Bidcorp UK, said: “I’m incredibly proud of both businesses picking up such a prestigious award. It’s testament to the teams’ hard work and achievements over the past year and beyond.

“Along with extensive customer support, including menu planning, recipe inspiration and training, sourcing fish responsibly is paramount to both businesses and we passionately believe in promoting the most sustainable products available to us.”

Seth McCurry, MSC UK & Ireland senior commercial manager, said: “We are thrilled that Bidfood and Direct Seafoods have been awarded the Foodservice Wholesaler of the Year at the MSC UK Awards. This remarkable achievement marks a significant milestone for both companies as they celebrate their first-ever win in this category.

“In the past year alone, they have demonstrated their strong commitment to sustainability by offering an impressive selection of 25 different MSC certified species to restaurants and foodservice businesses nationwide. This recognition not only applauds their dedication to sustainable seafood sourcing but also their pivotal role in leading the way towards a more sustainable future for our oceans and the foodservice industry.”

The MSC UK Foodservice Wholesaler of the Year award is judged on the number of MSC labelled products, variety of MSC certified species on sale and volume of MSC certified fish on sale to UK foodservice companies.

Previous winners of the award include Brakes, and M&J which is owned by Sysco.

Alongside the MSC UK Foodservice Wholesaler of the Year award, 17 other awards were handed out; 15 of these were MSC awards which included MSC UK Frozen Brand of the Year, and MSC UK Canned Brand of the Year, and three were Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) awards.

*Image: Laky Zervudachi, director of sustainability at Direct Seafoods, being awarded his award from MSC’s Lisa Bennett. *