What Icelandic Group UK Ltd does

Icelandic Group UK Ltd, operating commercially as Icelandic Asia (Icelandic Japan KK), is a B2B seafood producer-distributor of premium single-frozen, MSC-certified wild-caught fish from Iceland and the wider North Atlantic. The product line spans ten species: Greenland Halibut, Atlantic Mackerel, Redfish, Atlantic Cod, Atlantic Herring, Capelin and Capelin Roe, Lumpfish, Saithe, Silver Smelt, and Haddock, all frozen once onboard the catching vessel to preserve freshness and full traceability through the value chain. The company's core technical differentiator is this single-freezing process, which it markets as superior in quality and traceability to multi-frozen or land-frozen alternatives.

The business reaches Asian markets through an enterprise field-sales GTM run out of wholly owned offices in Tokyo (regional headquarters, also serving Taiwan, Korea, and Thailand), Qingdao (processing and local Chinese trade), and Reykjavik (head office). Sales, quality assurance, logistics, and marketing are handled in-house by Icelandic Japan KK and Icelandic China, targeting seafood distributors, food-service operators, and professional chefs under an exclusive Asia-Oceania license for the 'Icelandic Seafood' brand, which is owned by government-owned Icelandic Trademark Holding (ITH). Revenue is generated through one-time B2B product sales; pricing is not publicly disclosed and contracts are negotiated directly with enterprise buyers.

Ownership and structure have evolved materially: the parent IFPC was founded in Iceland in 1942, established a UK subsidiary in 1956, and was rebranded as Icelandic Group in 2005. Brim hf. (Útgerðarfélag Reykjavíkur hf., formerly HB Grandi hf.), one of Iceland's largest seafood producers, acquired Icelandic Japan from Icelandic Group in 2015 and subsequently acquired Icelandic Asia from ÚR in 2019, returning the Asian sales and marketing operation to producer ownership under a vertically integrated catch-to-customer structure.

Name

Icelandic Group UK Ltd

Legal name

Icelandic Japan KK (アイスランディックジャパン株式会社)

Website

http://www.icelandic.is

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Icelandic Group UK Ltd operates as Icelandic Asia, a B2B seafood distributor of premium single-frozen, MSC-certified wild-caught North Atlantic seafood to distributors, food-service operators, and restaurants across Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, and Thailand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seafood Distribution

NAICS

Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (424460), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (311710)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Frozen Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seafood Wholesale (Fresh & Frozen) (AFAIADAD)

Keywords

• Frozen seafood distribution
• Wild-caught fish products
• B2B seafood supply
• Sustainable pelagic fish
• North Atlantic groundfish

Headquarters

HQ city

Grimsby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Seafood Product Sales: Sale of premium frozen wild-caught seafood products including Greenland Halibut, Atlantic Mackerel, Redfish, Atlantic Cod, Atlantic Herring, Capelin & Capelin Roe, Lumpfish, Saithe, Silver Smelt, and Haddock. Products are sold to distributors, food service companies, and restaurants across Asia.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Icelandic Group UK Ltd (operating as Icelandic Asia/Icelandic Seafood) produces and distributes premium frozen wild-caught seafood products from the North Atlantic, including Greenland Halibut, Atlantic Mackerel, Redfish, Atlantic Cod, Atlantic Herring, Capelin & Capelin Roe, Lumpfish, Saithe, Silver Smelt, and Haddock. Products are single-frozen onboard vessels immediately after catch and MSC-certified, sold B2B to distributors, food service companies, and restaurants across Asian markets.

Product overview

Icelandic is a premium frozen seafood company offering sustainably sourced wild-caught fish products from Iceland and the greater North Atlantic Ocean. The product portfolio consists of a unified line of frozen seafood offerings including Greenland Halibut, Atlantic Mackerel, Redfish, Atlantic Cod, Atlantic Herring, Capelin & Capelin Roe, Lumpfish, Saithe, Silver Smelt, and Haddock. All products are traceable throughout the value chain, processed using single-freezing technology (frozen onboard immediately after catch), and certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Fish products are frozen once immediately after catch, potentially more fresh than 'fresh' fish from other companies

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Brim hf. (Útgerðarfélag Reykjavíkur hf.)coreOthers · 1 January 2019Brim, one of Iceland's largest seafood producers, acquired Icelandic Asia (Icelandic Japan) from ÚR. This acquisition brought Icelandic Asia into a group of Iceland's key seafood producers for sales and marketing in Asia.
• Icelandic Trademark Holding (ITH)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerITH is a government-owned Icelandic company and the owner/licensor of the Icelandic brand. ITH enters into licensing agreements with leading seafood industry companies. Icelandic Asia holds an exclusive license for the Icelandic Seafood brand in Asia and Oceania.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Thai Union Group PCL: World's largest canned tuna company and a major Asian frozen seafood producer. Operates broadly across Asian seafood with overlapping product categories (frozen seafood, prepared seafood) serving foodservice and retail in markets where Icelandic also competes.
• Mowi ASA: World's largest Atlantic salmon producer and major global seafood supplier. Comparable to Icelandic as a vertically integrated seafood supplier serving Asian foodservice and retail, though focused on aquaculture salmon vs. Icelandic's wild-caught groundfish.
• Lerøy Seafood Group: Norwegian vertically integrated seafood group with wild-caught and aquaculture production across Europe and Asia. Comparable to Icelandic as a European-origin seafood company distributing wild-caught and value-added frozen seafood to Asian markets.

Direct peers

• Clearwater Seafoods: Canadian shellfish and groundfish harvester with global distribution of frozen wild-caught seafood. Comparable to Icelandic in premium wild-caught positioning, sustainability certifications, and global B2B foodservice channels.
• High Liner Foods: North American leader in value-added frozen seafood (frozen prepared meals, breaded seafood) for retail and foodservice. Comparable to Icelandic in the broader frozen seafood processing and distribution space, though with more consumer-brand focus.
• Ocean Choice International: Canadian vertically integrated seafood company harvesting and marketing groundfish, shellfish, and pelagic species globally. Comparable to Icelandic in wild-caught frozen seafood with emphasis on traceability and food service distribution.
• Brim hf. Icelandic's parent company and one of Iceland's largest seafood producers with vertically integrated catching, processing, and global sales. Direct peer in wild-caught North Atlantic groundfish and pelagic species that supplies Icelandic's Asian channels.
• Trident Seafoods: US-based vertically integrated seafood company (catching, processing, distribution) with global reach. Comparable to Icelandic in wild-caught frozen seafood, prepared products, and B2B foodservice distribution model.
• Maruha Nichiro Corporation: Japan's largest seafood company with global sourcing, processing, and distribution across Asia. Comparable to Icelandic as a vertically integrated frozen seafood supplier serving Japanese and broader Asian foodservice and retail channels.
• Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui): Major Japanese seafood company with global processing, aquaculture, and trading operations. Directly comparable to Icelandic as a frozen seafood distributor to Asian markets with a portfolio of wild-caught groundfish and pelagic species.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/icelandicasia
• Facebookfacebook.com/IcelandicAsia
• Instagraminstagram.com/icelandicasia

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Icelandic Group UK Ltd