Bayou Best Foods has acquired BettaF!sh, a plant-based seafood alternatives brand based in Berlin, Germany and part of the Wunderfish company.

The acquisition brings together two alt-seafood players with complementary portfolios – US-based Bayou is well-known for its plant-based shrimp products, while BettaF!sh’s offers tuna and salmon alternatives made from seaweed.

Bayou’s shrimp is currently available through foodservice partnerships across various US restaurants, while BettaF!sh has built a strong position in the European retail and foodservice markets with its seaweed-forward range.

While BettaF!sh brings expertise in seaweed innovation and an established European presence, Bayou brings established and wide-reaching foodservice distribution, operational expertise and a track record in commercialising plant-based seafood in the US.

Bayou Best Foods’ plant-based shrimp, made to a clean label formulation based on pea protein, will become available to BettaF!sh’s foodservice partners across Europe. BettaF!sh’s plant-based tuna and salmon will also be introduced to Bayou’s US network over time, with the deal creating new opportunities for the two businesses to combine expertise in ingredient innovation and product development.

Kelli Wilson, CEO of Bayou Best Foods, said: “Our goal has always been to bring great-tasting, ocean-friendly seafood to more people, and BettaF!sh is exactly the kind of partner that makes that possible”.

“We share the same belief that seafood should be delicious, accessible and sustainable, and we see enormous potential in what we can build together.”

Deniz Ficicioglu, founder and CEO of BettaF!sh, described the transaction – the financial terms of which were not disclosed – as “a natural next chapter” for the company.

“Both of our companies were built on the belief that protecting the ocean and creating exceptional food should go hand in hand,” she said. “By joining forces, we can move faster, reach more customers, and help shape the future of seafood together.”

Top image: © BettaF!sh