Mevalco, a Spanish wholesaler and importer, has announced that an MSC-certified octopus will be available for sale for the first time in the UK.
The Old Fisherman’s Octopus is sustainably harvested from the Cantabrian Sea. It had a unique flavour that came from its environment and the fact it eats shellfish, and is fibrous, with a dark colour.
In order to gain the certification, boats must pay extra and have an inspector on board to check every step in the process while the octopuses are harvested sustainably and seasonally.
“MSC is seen as increasingly important for the harvesting of octopuses, and this is the product that everyone has been waiting for,” said Mevalco founder and joint MD David Menendez.
“Availability is limited, as it must be for a product certificated as sustainable by MSC. We are proud importers of the only MSC octopus in Europe, and probably the most gastronomic octopus in the world.”
It will be stocked in London independent retailers and delis: Partridges, Moxons Clapham, Grocer on Elgin and Bayley & Sage.
The octopus legs are cut and weighed before being frozen to preserve flavour and texture. They are then stored for a month before being cooked in their own juices and vacuum-packed to arrive in the UK.
Octopus is rich in proteins, minerals, and vitamins with B12, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and iron present.
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