Handy Seafoods is one of the oldest seafood processing companies in the United States, and one of the largest crab suppliers in the U.S.[1][2][3]

Handy Seafood Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryFishery
Founded1894; 130 years ago (1894)
HeadquartersSalisbury, Maryland, U.S.
ProductsSeafood
WebsiteOfficial website

History

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The company was established in 1894 by John T. Handy.[4][5] In 1903, Handy Seafood became the first company to commercially process soft shell crabs.[6][7] Beginning in 1916, the company started farming and selling oysters.[8]

During the 1980s, the company began shipping live soft shell crabs to Tokyo and exporting frozen soft shell crabs throughout Europe and the Pacific Rim.[9] In 1981, the company was purchased by former Perdue Farms executive Terry Conway. His son, Todd, is now the CEO.[5] The company is a founding member of the National Fisheries Institute Crab Council.[10]

In 2012, the company set the Guinness World Record for the "largest crab cake in the world" at the Maryland State Fair, weighing in at over 300 lbs.[6][11][12]

The company is headquartered in Salisbury, Maryland and operates 15 plants in the US and abroad,[13] including a primary plant in Crisfield, Maryland.[14][15][5]

Products

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Products sold by the company include:[16][17][18]

  • Crab cakes
  • Crab cake minis (partnership with Old Bay Seasoning)[2]
  • Crab meat
  • Gluten-free crab cakes
  • Oysters[19]
  • Plant-based 'Crabless Cake'[20][21][22]
  • Salmon bites
  • Salmon burgers
  • Scallops
  • Shrimp bites
  • Shrimp burgers
  • Shrimp rolls
  • Soft shell crabs

References

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  1. ^ Shields, John (1992-05-20). The Chesapeake Bay Crab Cookbook. Running Press. ISBN 978-0-201-56762-5.
  2. ^ a b Blank, Christine (September 18, 2023). "Handy's new mini crab cakes target growing demand for convenience". www.seafoodsource.com. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  3. ^ "Handy Seafood Receives State Recognition for 125th Anniversary". Handy Crab. October 10, 2019. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  4. ^ Restaurant Business. Restaurant Business. 1999.
  5. ^ a b c Parker, Susan. "After 100 years, Handy Seafood is still standing". The Daily Times. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  6. ^ a b "History". Handy Crab. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  7. ^ Seafood Leader. Waterfront Press Company. 1994.
  8. ^ Packers' Consent Decree: Hearings Before a Subcommittee of the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, United States Senate, Sixty-Seventh Congress, Second Session. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1922.
  9. ^ Aquaculture Magazine. Briggs Associates, Incorporated. 1992.
  10. ^ "Sustainability". Handy Crab. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  11. ^ "Largest Crab Cake". Guinness World Records.
  12. ^ Tannenbaum, Kiri (2012-09-11). "World's Largest Crab Cake Weighs 300 Pounds". Delish. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  13. ^ "Handy Seafood Incorporated". FishChoice. 2020-04-13. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  14. ^ The Culinarian: Official Publication of the Chefs Association of the Pacific Coast. Chefs Association of the Pacific Coast, Incorporated. 2005.
  15. ^ "Handy Seafood Announces Soft Crab Season for 2023". Nation's Restaurant News. 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  16. ^ "Products". Handy Crab. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  17. ^ Brands and Their Companies: New Consumer Products and Their Manufacturers with Company Addresses and Phone Numbers. Gale Research Company. 1999. ISBN 978-0-7876-2291-6.
  18. ^ Anyabuine, Jennifer (2023-03-28). "13 Of The Best Canned Crab Meat Brands You Can Buy". The Daily Meal. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  19. ^ "Handy Seafood's Chesapeake Bay Oyster Season has Arrived". Handy Crab. October 10, 2020. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  20. ^ Blank, Christine (January 5, 2022). "Handy Seafood debuts plant-based crab cake analog". www.seafoodsource.com. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  21. ^ "Handy Seafood, Oldest Seafood Processor in USA, Debuts Plant-Based Crab Cakes - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine". 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  22. ^ "Plant-based Crabless Cake making its debut | Food Business News". www.foodbusinessnews.net. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
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