Two decades in the making, the Marlborough-based business is launching a premium breed of salmon called Ora King. Ora King targets best in class professional chefs locally and offshore and has been developed especially for the fine dining market.
Company CEO Grant Rosewarne compares Ora King to Wagyu beef.
“Ora King represents the pinnacle of our company’s achievement, founded on more than two decades of classical breeding, reinforced by our world leading expertise in growing King salmon,” Mr Rosewarne says.
“The King salmon species is itself a rare luxury, making up less than one per cent of the world’s salmon population. The Ora King brand builds on all the fine traits of the King salmon species – it is to salmon what Wagyu is to beef.”
For some months the company has been testing the waters in overseas markets and the new salmon was served at the Governor General’s dinner in honour of our Olympians in London in July.
Mr Rosewarne says feedback from chefs has been “extremely positive”.
“The word coming back from Europe, Asia, Australia and North America suggests professional chefs are delighted with the product quality from a brand that is dedicated to food service. They are telling us Ora King enables them to add real value to their fine dining menus.”
Ora King has been selectively available in Europe, Australia and China while it is soon to be launched in the USA and Japan. A selection of overseas chefs has already placed Ora King salmon on their menus. This month (October) it has been launched to professional chefs in New Zealand.
