Whitby Seafoods celebrates 40th anniversary with 'every pack gives back' campaign
Whitby Seafoods has reason to celebrate – the family-owned company founded current Chairman, Graham Whittle, in 1985, has now been making and marketing its famous Whitby Scampi for 40 years.
The business, which is still very much family-run, is celebrating the anniversary with a high profile, national fund-raising initiative.
The company’s flagship product, Whitby Scampi will be part of an innovative ‘every pack gives back’ promotional campaign this summer.
The campaign will see selected specially branded packs of Whitby Scampi raising 5p or 10p per pack for the Fishermen’s Mission, the charity chosen by Whitby Seafoods to acknowledge the importance of UK fishing to the success of the company.
The Fishermen’s Mission charity supports active and former fishermen, and migrant fishermen working on UK vessels.
They provide a 24-hour emergency response to any fishing vessel working in UK waters, assisting with injury, or loss at sea.
Laura Whittle, Whitby’s marketing and sales director, said: “The Fishermen’s Mission is the only national charity that works solely to support fishermen and their families.
"Whitby Scampi is made with wild caught langoustine, caught in the waters surrounding the British Isles.
"Without the hard work of these fishers Whitby would not have been able to make or market our delicious scampi becoming the home of scampi and the largest ever manufacturer of breaded scampi.
"Whitby as a business owes the fishing industry a massive debt of thanks and this is a small gesture to show this gratitude.”
Whitby Seafoods employees are using the anniversary to do their own fund raising for the charity including two marathon attempts with the company matching all cash raised.
The company will announce the total amount raised for The Fisherman’s Mission at the end of 2025.
Dean Lawrence, corporate partnerships manager at the Fishermen’s Mission, told the Whitby Gazette: “Whitby Seafoods has been a partner of ours since 2008.
"We’re aiming to raise around £40,000 for us to coincide with the business’s 40th year as we don’t get lottery or Government funding and that’s why this is important.”
The charity offers a dedicated lifeline to fishermen and their families dealing with issues such as welfare support and financial grants.
Marking the 40th anniversary in a social event on Whitby beach, Laura added: “We have to acknowledge the people of Whitby who have worked for us over 40 years who have helped to make us successful and without whom, we would not have a business.
“We wanted to do something tangible and raise money for the Fishermen’s Mission.
“We wanted to do that to say thank you to the fishermen but you can’t have a business going for 40 years without the support of all the people you employ and it’s testament to them that we are still here doing it.
“When we first started working in Whitby, nobody knew where it was and now everyone knows it’s synonymous with fish and chips.
“It gives people a taste of a seaside holiday.”
The business employs 400 people across two sites, both in Whitby and the fishing port of Kilkeel in Northern Ireland.
Whitby Scampi is listed on national menus stocked in major supermarkets while Whitby Seafoods makes around one million portions of scampi a week to satisfy the demands of British scampi lovers.