Community Corner

Village Trustee Takes American Seafood to Russia

Village Trustee and seafood exporter Tom Kehoe recently returned from a trip to promote American seafood among the Russian bourgeoisie, who are rumored to love Atlantic lobster.

American seafood is a big hit with the Russian bourgeoisie, who are willing to shell out top dollar for imported fish and crustaceans. Served only in the swankiest stores and restaurants in Russia's cosmopolitan centers, an Atlantic lobster, for example, can fetch double what it would in the States.

"If you were paying say $7 or $8 a pound here, it would be twice that much over there," said Northport Village Trustee and K & B Seafood co-owner Tom Kehoe, who recently returned from a trip to Russia to promote his business.

K & B Seafood, based in East Northport, is a major East Coast source for shellfish and seafood specializing in local and imported oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops. Kehoe began shipping Western seafood to Russia a few years ago and has steadily seen his export business grow with one major Moscow-based customer who imports hundreds of pounds of American seafood a week.

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"There is now a certain level of affluence in these countries that were previously part of the Soviet Union," Kehoe said.

Kehoe spent nine days at the end of September and into October cementing his relationship with his existing customer while working with agricultural attaches from the American Embassy in Russia to promote American products such as California wine and American beef, as well as seafood, through seminars and demonstrations. 

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"Red snapper, porgies, grouper, striped bass -- these are things that they may have never seen before," said Kehoe, who hopes his visit will expand the Russian palate for American fish and shellfish.

Unfortunately for local Baymen, though, the Russians aren't fond of American hard shell clams. "They ship other varieties in from the Pacific that they use to cook with," Kehoe said. "They don't eat clams raw like we do."

Kehoe may return to Russia in November to promote K & B's 40 different oyster varieties in conjunction with California Wines.


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