Prawns & shrimps have been a popular product in the UK foodservice industry for many years. Proving to be a versatile source of protein that can be used in a variety of flavourful dishes across several types of restaurants, takeaways and other foodservice businesses.

The demand for high-quality prawns and shrimps has continued to rise, due to their adaptability in global cuisines and their premium appeal. However, as all good seafood supply companies know, not all prawns are created equally.

Certain factors, such as glazing, count & freezing methods can make a big difference to the quality of the prawn. Understanding these factors is crucial when making buying decisions, so that you can ensure you’re getting the best possible quality for your money.

Seafood suppliers, such as Seahawk Marine Foods, are responsible for making this information as clear as possible on their packaging, but first you need to know what to look out for.

It’s also important to be aware of current trends in the market, so that you can have a bigger picture of where prawns and shrimps fit into your menu.

Current Trends

Recent trends have provided both opportunity and challenge for seafood suppliers around the world.

Some of these trends include:

• Sustainable sourcing: There has been a growing preference for responsibly farmed and wild-caught options, with many restaurants even including responsibly sourced indicators on their menu. As consumers become more eco-conscious and protect marine ecosystems this trend is likely to continue to grow.
  
• Premiumisation: With the rapid rise in availability of a variety of seafood, consumers quickly began to recognise the difference between low-quality & high-quality products. This has led to an increased desire for larger premium quality prawns for gourmet dishes.
  
• Global flavours: Influence of Asian, Latin American, and Mediterranean cuisine on prawn-based dishes has increased the demand for certain types of prawns. For example
• the Fairway IQF Peeled Pulled Deveined Vannamei 16/20 700g net is a popular choice for Mediterranean tapas.
  
• Casual dining & small plates: Not only is there an increase in Mediterranean tapas-style prawn servings, but a rise in sharing platters in places such as surf and turf style restaurants & crab shacks.
• Fusion dishes: Creative pairings such as prawn tacos, bao buns, and seafood charcuterie boards have increased in popularity too.
  
• Social Media: The massive influence of social media has encouraged shareable, interesting & aesthetic dishes that stand out. Diverse, high-quality seafood dishes are trending simply because they are ‘Insta-ready’ meals.
  

According to Seafish, the UK seafood industry authority, prawns have become “pretty much omnipresent on menus of all types of restaurants.”

Prawns vs Shrimps – What’s the difference?

Wholesalers don’t tend to follow the biological differences but base it on size, species and processing method instead. Typically, larger prawns are referred to as jumbo or king prawns. Medium-sized prawns are also referred to as prawns. Smaller prawns with a higher count are then referred to as shrimp. You can find the latin names of the products on the back of the packaging, such as King Prawns (Litopenaeus vannamei / Penaeus monodon). This is done to avoid confusion from common names such as tiger prawns and ensures compliance with food regulations, sustainability, traceability, quality and specification.

Glaze & Net Weight

Glaze: A protective ice coating to prevent drying out and freezer burn. Standard glaze is 10%, but some products have 22%, 30%, or even 40%, artificially inflating weight and reducing value.

Gross weight vs. Net weight: Gross weight includes the glaze, while net weight is the actual product weight after glaze is removed. Legislation now requires net weights to be displayed on packaging, you’ll usually find it on the back of the pack e.g. Water (as protective ice glaze). Many buyers focus on price per bag without considering actual prawn content.

Count – Understanding Size & Pricing

Count refers to the number of prawns per pound (lb) or per kilo (kg) depending on the way the prawn has been prepared.

Typically, head-on prawns are counted per kilo while headless (or cooked & peeled) prawns are counted by the pound. The amount of prawns that fit into that pound or kilo is then represented as a range.

For example the MSC Fairway Cooked and Peeled Coldwater Prawns 150/250 1.2kg net will contain 150 to 250 prawns per pound (with the total weight of the product, without packaging, being 1.2kg).

Larger count = smaller prawns. For example, 150/250 count prawns are smaller than 16/20 count.

The biggest size prawns aren’t represented by a range, but would be labeled as U5, meaning under 5 prawns per pound.

All IQF (Individually Quick Frozen) products list a “glazed count”, meaning the count includes the glaze weight, affecting portion accuracy.

Coldwater vs. Warm-water Prawns – Choosing the Right Type

Coldwater Prawns (Northern Hemisphere)

Coldwater prawns are wild-caught only, they cannot be farmed. They originate from the Northern Hemisphere from the cold waters of the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans.

They are typically cooked & peeled for ready-to-eat formats (prawn cocktails, sandwiches, and salads) and have a sweeter and juicier flavour and delicate texture.

They can be used for warm dishes, but should be added just before serving to ensure their flavour and texture is preserved.

Due to the colder water they tend to be a lot smaller than warm-water prawns.

Some examples of coldwater prawns include MSC Fairway Luxury Cooked and Peeled Prawns

1.72kg net & MSC Fairway Luxury Cooked and Peeled Prawns 1.72kg net

Warm-water Prawns (Southern Hemisphere)

These prawns are mostly farmed, and versatile for curries, stir-fries, and “Surf & Turf” dishes. An example are Fairways IQF Peeled Pulled Deveined Vannamei 16/20 700g net.

Trending serving suggestions

Here are a few dishes and trends we love:

• Prawn small plates & sharing concepts
  Chilli & garlic prawns with sourdough
  Tempura prawns with Asian-style dipping sauce Prawn croquettes with saffron aioli
• Main course inspirations
  Prawn & nduja linguine – bold flavours for modern Italian menus
  Spiced prawn curry – drawing inspiration from South Asian and Caribbean cuisine Grilled prawns with chimichurri – simple but vibrant BBQ-style offering
• Street food & fast-casual trends
  Prawn bao buns with pickled vegetables Crispy prawn tacos with avocado and salsa
  Prawn-loaded fries with sriracha mayo

Wrapping up

Choosing high-quality prawns for both flavour & cost effectiveness is a vital part of building your menu. Understanding glazing, net weight, count and freezing methods is the best way to avoid hidden costs or sacrificing on quality.

If you’re planning on staying ahead of trends and offering innovative, in-demand seafood dishes then buying the right prawns & shrimps should be a priority.

Some examples of prawns available at The Wholesale Group include MSC Fairway Luxury Cooked, Peeled Prawns 1.72kg net 5 x 2kg & MSC Fairway Luxury Cooked and Peeled Prawns

1.72kg net 5 x 2kg and Fairways IQF Peeled Pulled Deveined Vannamei 16/20 700g net 10 x 1kg. Contact your sales representative for more information and find out what prawns or shrimps are right for you.