Vičiūnai and Frais Embal take top honors at the 2026 Seafood Excellence Global Awards in Barcelona

Lithuania’s Vičiūnai Group and France’s Frais Embal have won top honors at the 2026 Seafood Excellence Global Awards held at Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, the world’s largest seafood trade show. The winners were selected from among 35 finalists and announced at a special Seafood Excellence Global Awards reception. The competition recognizes the best products showcased at Seafood Expo Global, and the Seafood Excellence Global finalists were evaluated on taste and overall dining experience, packaging, marketability, convenience, nutritional value, and innovation. The judges’ evaluations were verified by the auditing firm PwC.

The top prize for Best Retail Product was awarded to Vičiūnai Group for its entry Smoked Herring Slices – Natural Flavor. This product is made with simple ingredients and is ready to eat straight from the package, featuring a clean, natural smoky flavor. The jury highlighted the balance between the flavor of the herring and the smoke, the excellent cut and packaging of the product, and the eye-catching packaging design.

Frais Embal won the grand prize for Best HORECA (hotel/restaurant/catering) Product for its Salmon Roll. This product consists of a thin, precisely cut rectangle of fresh salmon, ideal for sushi rolls and other culinary applications. Packaged in a modified atmosphere, the product offers uniform portions and streamlines preparation to improve restaurant operations and the dining experience for customers.

Four Special Awards

Meanwhile, Lerøy Seafood Group (Norway) received the Seafood Excellence Global Special Award for Convenience for its Fish Taco Sticks. With an intense flavor thanks to a unique blend of jalapeño and lime spices, these sticks are made with Atlantic haddock coated in a crispy gluten-free batter. They are designed to make it easy to incorporate fish into family taco dinners.

The Seafood Excellence Global Special Award for Retail Packaging went to Sykes Seafood Limited (United Kingdom) for its Argentine Red Shrimp with Chimichurri Butter product. The product combines Argentine red shrimp with a vibrant herb butter and crushed chili. It comes in a recyclable aluminum tray, perfect for the recommended oven-baking method. The packaging is complemented by an attractive cardboard sleeve that displays the finished product on the front and provides detailed consumer information on the back.

Iceco Fish (Lithuania) won the Seafood Excellence Global Award for Best Seafood Product Line for its range of herring tartares. The products are made with finely chopped, top-quality Atlantic herring, balanced with other high-quality ingredients. The line includes Original, Scandinavian, and Fine Herbs flavors, and is presented in recyclable tubs with cardboard sleeves featuring a modern and bold design.

Reunimer (Reunion Island) won the Seafood Excellence Global Award for Innovation for its Gravelax de Merlin. This product offers a refined interpretation of the Nordic curing technique applied to firm, lean marlin fillets. The fish is delicately cured with sea salt, sugar, fresh dill, and spices, resulting in a dense, velvety texture and a beautiful translucent pink hue.

Representatives From 16 Countries

The winners of the 2026 Seafood Excellence Global Awards were selected from among 35 finalists representing 16 countries from around the world. The winners and finalists were showcased in the Galleria, located between Halls 4 and 5 at Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, which ran through April 23.

The jury for the Seafood Excellence Global 2026 competition consisted of Raül Cervera, Director of Seafood Purchasing for La Sirena stores in Spain; Madeleine Hüffelmann, Private Label Buyer for the Rewe Group in Germany; Damien Bocahu, Seafood Buyer for Picard Surgelés in France; and Percy Addo, Purchasing Manager for the Wonderfield Group in the United Kingdom. Cervera served as jury chair.

The Seafood Excellence Global finalists were evaluated on taste and overall dining experience, packaging, marketability, convenience, nutritional value, and innovation. The judges’ evaluations were verified by the auditing firm PwC.