Cold Storage Seafood Promotes Sea Conservation with "GenSea: Dive into Sustainability"
Cold Storage, a leading name in the frozen seafood industry for 27 years, proudly announced its new partnership with Save Philippine Seas (SPS) for its "GenSea: Dive Into Sustainability" campaign. This collaborative effort aims to build a community and platform for like-minded leaders dedicated to shaping the future of our oceans.
The official media event was held last June 20, 2024 at the exclusive Manila House Private Members Club in Bonifacio Global City. This was the first time that Cold Storage held an event such as this which includes a talk with some of the countries leading chefs and restaurateurs on how we can all come together to help sustain our seas.
The exclusive was attended by guests from the media, corporate partners, plus the owner's friends and family who all came to support this noble endeavor.
Cold Storage Seafood has been a trusted name in the seafood industry for 27 years, providing premium-quality seafood to customers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and a focus on elevating the quality of their products, Cold Storage is also proud to introduce LOKAL, a line of export-quality seafood sourced locally from various regions across the Philippines. The company is led by brothers Marco Qua and Morris Qua who, as president and vice-president, respectively, have recently expanded Cold Storage Seafood's operations and relaunched their flagships retail stores in Wilson Street and Banawe.
“Partnering with Save the Philippine Seas has significantly enhanced our understanding of sustainable practices,” says Marco Qua, President of Cold Storage. “Through this collaboration, we've identified innovative ways to improve our processes and products, ensuring both environmental stewardship and long-term product sustainability. This partnership emphasizes our commitment to protecting marine ecosystems while delivering high-quality and sustainable products to our customers.” GenSea is not just about advocating for sustainable fishing practices and responsible sourcing; it's about celebrating the strategic collaboration between Cold Storage Seafood and Save Philippine Seas. Through educational content and fundraising events, this partnership underscores Cold Storage's commitment to delivering superior seafood options while promoting environmental conservation.
"Save Philippine Seas is a non-profit organization that aims to conserve coastal and marine resources by empowering "seatizens" for collective action and behavior change," says Harvey Perello, Project Manager of SPS. "We call ourselves, communities, and partners as seatizens to remind us that we are citizens of the sea. SPS began as an online platform in May 2011 as a response to a large-scale illegal wildlife trade case dubbed in the media as the rape of the Philippine Seas. What was meant to be a short-lived social media campaign continued to grow."
Guests were treated to a selection of the finest seafood dishes from Cold Storage Seafood prepared by Manila House's chefs. The Salmon Sashimi was very fresh and served as pass around appetizers. It was even better than most of the sashimi you can find in five-star restaurants here.
The special six-course lunch started with the Seared Scallops and Ikura with Spicy Mayo. These were fresh and plump scallops that were so good, with a little spicy kick from the mayo. The ikura or Japanese salmon roe also brought a nice texture and flavor component.
Next was the Grilled Halibut with Mushroom Au Jus. This light and clean tasting soup was made more exquisite with the tender and premium halibut that you don't often encounter in other restaurants.
For the salad course, guests had the Pomelo and Shrimp Salad. This is a refreshing and healthy salad that comes with big juicy pieces of prawns.
The main course was the heavenly Pan Seared Salmon in Miso Butter Sauce. The salmon was cooked perfectly and it was sitting on a bed of glorious miso butter that would have been so good to pair with rice.
Everyone was surprised to see a second main course, this time it was the Grilled Pompano in Thai Red Curry Sauce. This was another masterful creation with the freshly grilled pompano combined with a spicy Thai curry sauce.
To cap off the amazing lunch, guests were served the duo of Yema Palitaw and Mango Sticky Rice. The sweet treats were a great way to end the indulgent six-course seafood lunch.
The "GenSea: Dive Into Sustainability" event also came with a panel discussion about supporting sustainable practices for local food and beverage businesses. The discussion was moderated by award-winning author and chef, Angelo Comsti, and he was joined by a panel of F&B experts: Nicco Santos & Quenee Vilar of Restaurant Aurora, Stephan Duhesme of Metiz / Automat, Patrick Go of Your Local, and Rhea & Jayjay SyCip of The Fatted Calf.
The collaboration between Cold Storage and Save Philippine Seas goes beyond panel discussions. It's a demonstration of genuine commitment to environmental causes. By putting words into action and partnering with SPS, Cold Storage aims to strengthen the trust and loyalty of conscientious consumers. "GenSea is a fitting title for this campaign because SPS is focused on developing a generation of seatizens, or people who appreciate and care for our seas. This partnership will support our environmental education programs and help us develop communication materials on sustainable seafood," said Anna Oposa, Executive Director of SPS.
As part of the campaign, Cold Storage President Marco Qua committed to donate to SPS and share various projects to help raise more funds for the organization. The campaign also aims to engage with F&B professionals and influential individuals to amplify its reach and impact. Congratulations to Cold Storage Seafood for a successful event and for helping to promote food sustainability. For more updates and seafood information, you may follow Cold Storage Seafood on Facebook and Instagram.