Glenmar Shellfish

What Glenmar Shellfish does

Glenmar Shellfish Ltd. is a privately held Irish seafood processor, marketer, and exporter headquartered in Union Hall, West Cork, with an export factory in Dublin and additional processing sites in Midleton, Galway, and Wexford. Founded in 1984, the company operates across five sites, handles landings from more than 150 Irish fishing vessels, and runs 15 sea-frozen prawn factory vessels under the Glenmar brand. Its product portfolio spans live shellfish (razor clam, blue lobster, brown crab, scallops, oysters, prawns), fresh native Irish fish (monkfish, haddock, hake, megrim, turbot, sole, cod), frozen-at-sea products (prawns, monk tails, squid, cuttlefish), and cooked/land-frozen offerings including a proprietary hand-peeled Atlantic red prawn marketed as Scampi Meat, sold throughout mainland Europe and Scandinavia. The company also holds exclusive Irish distribution rights for imported premium brands (seabass, bluefin tuna, caviar, yellowtail) and runs three retail fish shops in Union Hall, Blanchardstown (Dublin), and Galway.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market model combining international airfreight export (Dublin-based) with domestic wholesale and food-service distribution through its own refrigerated van fleet across Leinster, plus consumer-facing retail fish shops. Customers are primarily hotels, restaurants, gastropubs, and food service groups in Ireland, alongside international wholesale buyers in Europe and Scandinavia; pricing is quote-based and customized per client. Glenmar is a subsidiary of Lisavaird Food Group and is led by CEO Juan Blanes and CFO Claire Tanner. Facilities are certified to EU, FDA, BRC, and HACCP standards, the company holds Bord Bia Origin Green sustainability certification, and it was named Bord Bia Exporter of the Year across the Irish food and drink industry.

In October 2024 Glenmar acquired Mary's Fish (trading as Chef's Choice Fish), a Galway-based family-run fish business, integrating 15 staff and a third retail fish shop at Ballybrit Industrial Park; the founder was retained as Operations Manager Galway. With ~70 employees (June 2025 gender pay report), five operating sites, and a multi-channel mix spanning export, wholesale, and retail, the company combines a vertically integrated supply base with branded premium positioning, though revenue, pricing, and contract terms are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Glenmar Shellfish

Legal name

Glenmar Shellfish Ltd.

Website

https://glenmarshellfish.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Glenmar Shellfish Ltd. is a privately held Irish seafood processor and exporter, founded in 1984, operating five sites and handling landings from 150+ Irish fishing vessels. It supplies live shellfish, fresh fish, frozen-at-sea, and cooked shellfish products to international wholesale markets and to Irish hotels, restaurants, gastropubs, and retail consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Processing and Distribution

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446), Fish and Seafood Retailers (445250)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Shellfish Processing (Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Mollusks) (AFANADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Finfish Processing (Filleting, Portioning, Trimming) (AFANADAB), Shellfish Wholesale (Crustaceans & Mollusks) (AFAIADAF), Seafood Markets & Fishmongers (CRAHAHAC)

Keywords

• Shellfish processing
• Seafood export
• Frozen at sea
• Fresh fish distribution
• Wholesale seafood

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Live Shellfish Export: Export of live shellfish including razor clam, blue lobster, brown crab, scallops, oysters and prawns via airfreight to international markets
2. Fresh Fish Sales: Fresh fish processing and distribution from Union Hall factory covering native Irish species such as monkfish, megrim, witch, turbot, soles, haddock, cod and hake
3. Frozen Seafood Products: Frozen at sea and land frozen products including prawns, brown crab, scallop, razor clams, lobster, squid, white fish. Also includes cooked shellfish products like BRC dry and glazed hand peeled scampi meat sold throughout mainland Europe and Scandinavia
4. International Product Sourcing: Import and exclusive distribution of high quality brands for Seabass, Bluefin Tuna, Caviar, Yellowtail based on market demand
5. Domestic Retail Fish Shops: Retail fish shops in Cork (Union Hall) and Dublin (Blanchardstown) serving local consumers with fresh seafood products
6. Wholesale & Food Service: Wholesale and food service distribution to hotels, restaurants and gastropubs throughout Ireland with customized orders

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Glenmar Shellfish is an Irish seafood producer and exporter that sources, processes, and distributes live shellfish, fresh fish, frozen-at-sea, and cooked shellfish products. The company operates five processing sites across Ireland, services landings from 150+ Irish fishing vessels and 15 sea-frozen prawn factory vessels, and supplies wholesale customers (hotels, restaurants, gastropubs, food service groups) domestically and internationally alongside consumer retail fish shops.

Product overview

Glenmar Shellfish is a leading Irish seafood producer, marketer, and exporter offering a comprehensive portfolio of live, fresh, frozen-at-sea, and cooked shellfish products. The company operates across five processing sites (Dublin, West Cork, Midleton, Galway, Wexford) and manages landings from 150+ Irish fishing vessels plus 15 sea-frozen prawn factory vessels under the Glenmar brand. Its product lines include Live Shellfish (razor clam, blue lobster, brown crab, scallops, oysters, prawns), Fresh Fish (monkfish, haddock, hake, megrim, turbot, black sole, and more), Frozen at Sea products (prawns, monk tails, squid, cuttlefish), and Cooked & Land Frozen offerings including proprietary hand-peeled Atlantic red prawn marketed as Scampi Meat. The company holds exclusive distribution rights for imported premium seafood brands (seabass, bluefin tuna, caviar, yellowtail) and recently expanded via acquisition of Mary's Fish in Galway. Retail presence includes three consumer fish shops in Cork, Dublin, and Galway.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Glenmar Brand: 15 sea frozen prawn factory vessels operating under Glenmar Brand; also produces hand peeled Atlantic red prawn branded as Scampi Meat

Products and services

• Live Shellfish Products Live shellfish including razor clam, blue lobster, brown crab, scallops, oysters, and prawns sourced from Irish fishing vessels and shipped via airfreight from the Dublin export factory to international markets.
• Fresh Fish Products Fresh native Irish fish including monkfish, haddock, hake, megrim, witch, turbot, brill, plaice, black sole, red mullet, lemon sole, pollock, mackerel, sardines, halibut, salmon, trout, bluefin tuna, and hamachi, processed at the Union Hall factory in West Cork.
• Frozen at Sea Products Frozen-at-sea products including deep sea porcupine whole prawns, inshore whole prawns, monk tails, squid, and cuttlefish. Products are frozen aboard 13 dedicated vessels and at the Kilmore Quay land frozen factory.
• Cooked & Land Frozen Products Cooked shellfish products including cooked female brown crab (vacuum packed, pasteurized), cooked frozen crab claws IQF, raw frozen razor clams, prawn tails, peeled prawn meat, frozen raw lobster, and cooked frozen lobster.
• Hand Peeled Atlantic Red Prawn (Scampi Meat) Proprietary branded specification of hand peeled Atlantic red prawn marketed as scampi meat, produced without chemicals or added phosphates. Renowned throughout mainland Europe and Scandinavia and leads the Irish gourmet market.
• Exclusive Distribution Brands Exclusive Irish distribution rights for imported high-quality brands of seabass, bluefin tuna, caviar, and yellowtail, supplied based on market demand.
• Retail Fish Shops Consumer-facing retail fish shops in Cork (Union Hall), Dublin (Blanchardstown), and Galway (Ballybrit Industrial Park). The Union Hall shop offers locally caught fish and shellfish with up to 25 different species daily. The Dublin shop covers wholesale, hotels, and restaurants across Leinster province with refrigerated van deliveries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Servicing, handling and processing landings of 150+ Irish fishing vessels directly
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Mary's Fish (Chef's Choice Fish)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 October 2024Glenmar Shellfish acquired Mary's Fish, a Galway-based family-run business trading as Chef's Choice Fish. The acquisition expands Glenmar's presence into the West of Ireland. Mary's Fish founder Mary remains involved in the business, and 15 staff members joined the team. The acquired business operates under the Glenmar brand.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Killybegs Seafood Company: Irish seafood processor and exporter based in Ireland's largest fishing port, handling shellfish and finfish for European markets. Directly comparable to Glenmar in geography, product portfolio, and international export focus.
• Young's Seafood: Major UK-based seafood processor supplying chilled, frozen, and prepared seafood to UK and European retailers and food service. Comparable to Glenmar in product breadth, B2B/wholesale focus, and European retail channel mix.
• Pacific Seafood: US West Coast seafood processor and distributor handling shellfish, finfish, and frozen products for retail and food service. Comparable to Glenmar in multi-site processing, vertical supply relationships, and broad product portfolio.
• Clearwater Seafoods: Canadian shellfish and seafood processor specializing in clams, scallops, crab, and lobster for global markets. Closely comparable to Glenmar in shellfish species focus, frozen and live product formats, and international export orientation.

Emerging players

• The Saucy Fish Co. UK-based prepared/seafood brand specializing in coated and value-added fish products for retail. Comparable to Glenmar in branded seafood innovation and UK/European retail focus, though smaller scale and category-overlapping only on value-added lines.

Broad incumbents

• Bakkafrost: Large Faroese salmon farming and seafood processing group operating across aquaculture, processing, and value-added branded seafood. Comparable to Glenmar in seafood processing infrastructure, export focus, and premium positioning, though species focus and farm-owned model differ.
• Mowi ASA: World's largest salmon farming and seafood processing company with vertically integrated operations across aquaculture, processing, and sales. Comparable in seafood processing scale and export reach, but aquaculture-focused versus Glenmar's wild-capture supply base.
• Nomad Foods: European frozen food giant (owner of Birds Eye, Iglo) operating broad seafood and frozen food categories across UK and Continental Europe. Comparable in seafood product breadth, European retail distribution, and frozen seafood capabilities, but operates at much greater scale.
• Trident Seafoods: Major US seafood company with vertically integrated wild-capture vessels, processing plants, and branded retail products. Comparable in raw material sourcing scale, processing infrastructure, and seafood product breadth.
• Thai Union Group: Global seafood conglomerate behind Chicken of the Sea, John West, and other major seafood brands. Comparable in shellfish/seafood processing and export across multiple continents; vastly larger scale and broader product portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/glenmar-shellfish-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/glenmarseafood

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Glenmar Shellfish