History
Beginning as a small family business owned by Sicilian immigrants more than a hundred years ago, it opened its first seafood shop (Ippolitto’s) in Philadelphia in 1945. Samuels and Son Seafood was born in 1989 when owner Samuel D’Angelo expanded his grandfather’s seafood market to focus more on wholesale. Today they are a successful company that sources globally yet ethically while serving businesses and chefs across the nation with sustainable seafood. With a tradition of bringing superb seafood to market for generations, Samuels is the best place to satisfy all of your seafood needs.
Global Sourcing
Wild-caught Alaskan salmon, Oiishi shrimp sustainably-raised in Vietnam, and everything in between, Samuels has a broad offering of deliciously nutritious seafood items. With a philosophy of sourcing responsibly-harvested species, Samuels carefully selects their suppliers, curates their catalog to include seasonal options, and cultivates relationships to support sustainable practices across their network. Working closely with the Marine and Aquaculture Stewardship Councils, as well as their resident marine biologist, Samuels ensures that their suppliers adhere to the same high standards of sustainable harvesting and farming. Using novel packaging techniques to reduce waste plus quick delivery between destinations using state-of-the-art technology guarantees that the seafood arrives fresh and ready to prepare.
Sustainability and Best Management Practices
With generations of experience in putting sustainability at the forefront of their business philosophy, Samuels has developed a range of best management practices to ensure that their customers receive the best product possible. Purchasing decisions are based on guidance from experts, scientists, government organizations, NGOs, and the large network of fishmongers Samuels has made relationships with over decades. Employees are trained to reduce waste when cutting fish and packaging for distribution, as well as educated in the different species of fish to pass on that knowledge to customers. Samuels’ quality assurance standards exceed all FDA requirements and maintain strict adherence with HACCP standards for handling live fish. Their innovative use of dual-process bacterial maintenance systems ensures that their crustaceans and shellfish are bacteria-free upon harvesting. Their ozone water sanitation system removes the need for harsh chemicals when cleaning the holding tanks and allows for longer sanitized production hours – leading to a reported 60% increase in seafood shelf life as well as an 85% reduction in chemical/hot water usage. Using their knowledge and their connections across the industry, Samuels designed the Sustained Seas Initiative to make sustainable seafood sourcing easier for distributors, retailers, chefs, and consumers alike. Drawing from major certification programs and industry experts, Samuels provides educational tools on the state of each species and their ecosystem in order to assist in the access, promotion, and understanding of sustainable seafood. Confidence in seafood purchases and a clearer vision for sustainability standards is what Samuels strives for every day.
About the Author
Vlad Stefanovich graduated from Penn State University with a BS in Agricultural Science as well as Minors in Plant Pathology and International Agriculture. He has passions for regenerative crop production techniques and soil conservation, curating fair local markets and resilient food economies, and developing long-term solutions for all aspects of food production. Vlad has dedicated himself to enhancing the Co-Op’s sustainability and also researching how our core vendors marry amazing food with sustainable practices. Vlad’s goal in these vendor profiles is to educate our customers on all aspects of sustainable food—from farm to table.
