Avast, Me Hearties! Long John Silver's Testing Plant-Based Fish At Select Locations

Although I haven't seen an actual Long John Silver's location in years now, I was excited to see this press release from LJS this morning: The company is now testing plant-based seafood products at five locations in California and Georgia. There will be not one, but two options: a Plant-Based Breaded Fish-Free Fillet and a Plant-Based Breaded Crab-Free Cake. Both are part of a product line called Good Catch from Gathered Foods. Reactions to this should be interesting. The new items will be available in platters or à la carte

According to the press release the faux fish will be flaky, like whitefish, and it'll be in a crisp breading. The crab-free cakes will have a "sweet crab flavor" and will be seasoned with parsley, sweet peppers, green onions, and spice. The proteins themselves are made from Gathered Food's proprietary mix of lentils, chickpeas, soy, fava beans, peas, and navy beans.

"We're excited to propel change in quick service restaurants by teaming up with Long John Silver's," Christine Mei, CEO of Gathered Foods, said in the press release. "With the plant-based seafood sector expected to grow twelve-fold in the next ten years to $1.3 billion, there's room for dramatic growth. We're proud to fuel the momentum by delivering the delicious taste, unmistakable texture, and comparable protein that consumers crave."

Too bad there's not one near me, since this sounds like it's at least worth trying. I'm a big fan of seafood, and meat substitutes just keep getting better and better these days—though not all of them hit the mark. I expect there'll be more overall options, including cell-cultured versions, hitting the market through the rest of the year and well into next year. Keep an eye out and let us know if you find anything that you like, because we're super curious over here.