Sealord hoki fillets and McCashin Brewery Stoke beer joined efforts to create a recipe for beer-battered hoki fillets. (Photo: Sealord/Stock File/FIS)

Sealord joins brewery to create beer-battered hoki fillets

NEW ZEALAND
Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 15:10 (GMT + 9)

New Zealand’s seafood brand Sealord has partnered with McCashin’s Brewery to create a recipe for tasty beer-battered hoki fillets.

To cater to kiwis and other groups to whom beer-battered fish is a favourite, Sealord wanted to partner with a craft beer brewer for a really authentic product when it created its Simply Crafted Beer Batter. McCashin’s Brewery then brew Stoke to a traditional recipe using organic hops, no artificial additives or colouring -- and the plant is conveniently located nearby in Nelson.

“It made sense for Sealord to partner with McCashin’s Brewery,” said Sealord GM International Marketing Jason Plato. “Both Sealord and McCashin’s Brewery have a shared heritage in the Nelson community.”

Sealord believes its new Simply Crafted Beer Battered hoki fillets offers a great taste of Nelson while tapping into the growing trend towards eating quality and local ingredients.

The range focuses on real ingredients; the hoki is caught off the coast of New Zealand, then hand cut into fillets and snap-frozen to retain the freshness of the fish. Each fillet is then coated in a batter made with premium Stoke Amber beer.

The product is being launched nationally this week and may appear in Australian supermarkets soon too. The initial goal is 12,000 cartons a year, Fairfax NZ News reports.

Stoke Amber has a style similar to a traditional English amber ale. It uses eight different malts which are well-balanced with the organic hops grown in Nelson.

“Craft beer is evolving in the NZ market, and is becoming a viable alternative to matching wine with food, this is a really great opportunity to partner with Sealord to create a delicious fusion of local produce,” said Emma McCashin of McCashin’s Brewery.

Celebrity Chef Paul Jobin has been experimenting with dishes to enhance the flavour experience of Sealord Simply hoki fillets.

“Stoke Amber Beer gives a distinctive malt flavour to the batter. There is almost a caramelisation that takes place when you cook the fillets, and the taste is unmistakably authentic and fresh,” said Jobin.

By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com

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