“We’re seeing growing enthusiasm for mussels, not just for their taste but for their minimal environmental impact," said Katie Keay, Senior Sustainability & Ethics Manager at Waitrose.
Photo: Waitrose / John Lewis Partnership Media.
UK supermarket retailer Waitrose has reported a growing consumer interest in mussels over the past year.
According to the company, searches on its website for mussels are up 120% compared with the same time last year, while searches for mussel recipes on the site have increased by 20%.
This upward trend has also translated into sales, with a year-on-year increase of 5% in sales of mussels on Waitrose's in-store fish counters.
Waitrose attributes this upsurge in consumer interest to the popularity of "French-inspired cuisine" and "eco-conscious eating", noting that social media trends on platforms like TikTok also indicate increasing popularity of the shellfish species.
“With French-inspired cuisine gaining popularity and eco-conscious eating on the rise, mussels are fast becoming the go-to choice for both romantic meals and everyday cooking. If oysters are the old-school symbol of love, mussels might just be their modern rival," said Zoe Simons, Waitrose Senior Brand Development Chef, in a press release.
“We’re seeing growing enthusiasm for mussels, not just for their taste but for their minimal environmental impact," added Katie Keay, Senior Sustainability & Ethics Manager at Waitrose.
"Scottish rope grown mussels have an extremely low carbon footprint. They are grown on ropes suspended from floats in the sea and feed naturally off plankton in the rich tidal flows that ensures the growth of succulent and sweet tasting mussels," Keay added.
The company says it is the first retailer in the UK to offer sustainably sourced mussels only from the Shetland Islands.
