Northern Co-op earns award

Since our story on the June fifteenth opening of lobster season, reports from the fishing co-operatives are that deliveries have increased significantly and industry officials are looking toward another successful year. One co-op recently received some additional good news in the form of an award. Darden Restaurants of the U.S.A., operators of the Olive Garden, Red Lobster and other popular brands, has named the Northern Fishermen Co-operative as it’s vendor of the year.

Robert Usher, G.M. Northern Fishermen Co-operative

“We were recently selected because we are suppliers of lobster tails to Red Lobster. We were recently selected by Red Lobster as the number one vendor of the year. It was quite an honor for us to receive that award because they are over two thousand vendors that supply Red Lobster from all over the world and within the United States and to be selected as the number one vendor is indeed a thrill. So we are very, very happy. We have been dealing with Red Lobster for many years and we were quite pleasantly surprised when we were notified we will be given this award.”

Darden cited Northern’s long term commitment to conservation and environmental sustainability over their twenty-five years of supplying Red Lobster with seafood. Northern also pioneered a sales contract with Darden that links payments to fluctuating prices on the U.S. market.