Global Food Collaborative - http://www.globalfoodcollaborative.com
Pizza and Seafood - A Perfect Match
http://www.globalfoodcollaborative.com/articles/143/1/Pizza-and-Seafood---A-Perfect-Match-/Page1.html
Collaborative INSIGHTS

 
By Collaborative INSIGHTS
Published on 25 June 2008
 
According to Pizza Magazine, the pizza business recorded an estimated $37+ billion in annual sales in 2007 and is still growing and is one of the most vibrant segments of the food service industry.  No small wonder that someone in Alaska didn't look at the Pizza popularity and begin to develop recipes using wild Alaskan seafood.    

Yes, it happened in of all places, Hoonah, Alaska where Jan Jackson began making pizza using her secret pizza sauce and a topping of Alaskan halibut.    Originally made for personal consumption and later in her family-owned restaurant - it became such a hit that Wild Frontier Foods was established and dedicated to creating and selling Wild Frontier Halibut Pizza.   While it made its launch earlier this Spring and is now available for food service in Southeast Alaska - the company has plans to let others around the State of Alaska and in the lower 48 taste the new product as the company develops its infrastructure to support those new markets.   In the meantime, Wild Frontier Halibut Pizza is getting rave reviews and is now available for commercial food service orders in Southeast Alaska.

Now serving in Southeast Alaska......
Did you know that Pizza accounts for more that 10% of all food service sales? According to Food Industry News, this is an always healthy sectorThat wasn't the motivating factor for mother and son team - Jan and Mike Jackson to start producing Pizza.   It was the taste and popularity of the product that Jan produced in their family business - the Galley Restaurant.  It was a hit with local residents and became a tour destination for those visiting Hoonah during the summer tour and adventure season.

Mike, has made a career of building working and viable businesses.   So when the thought of how they could give more people access to this pizza - it was natural for Mike to consider a pizza manufacturing business.   A professional pilot by training, Mike had already created aviation, real estate and restaurant businesses and felt comfortable with creating a sustainable business model that would work in Hoonah, which has a population of close to 900 and is located about 40 air miles from Juneau.    So, in 2008, he went about building a production facility that opened earlier this Spring.

The product is, of course, selling at local establishments in Hoonah, including their former Galley restaurant.   Additionally, the pizza is sold to food and beverage establishments in Juneau.  The Halibut pizza comes in a large 14" and can be sold individually by the slice to customers accompanied by the local beverage.   This has been quite popular, as well as serving it as an appetizer.    It also comes in a 7" personal pizza sold on menu's as a meal.  Currently one can purchase the Wild Frontier Pizza at the famous Red Dog Saloon in Juneau along with a locally produced Alaskan Amber and truly enjoy the local fare.  Wild Frontier Pizza's can also be found this summer in Sitka and Ketchikan.  

Mike is taking precautions to slowly build markets, but like all good business people - he has his eyes on several new products he'd like to add to the line of Wild Frontier Foods. 

In the meantime, Mike and Jan are strong believers in collaboration.   They have been taking advantage of networking with other like minded businesses to look at resource collaboration, whether that is ordering, transport, distribution, co-packing or product development.    They encourage dialogue with others in the business or the region who may want to create some economies of scale for more uniquely Alaskan products.   Mike offers a number of examples of ways he has benefited from collaboration in his other businesses and seeks opportunities to do the same with Wild Frontier Foods.

So, if you're interested in collaborating - or maybe simply purchasing the pizza to augment your menu, please give Mike a call at the number below or link to his email on his name below.     And by all means - let us know what you think of the pizza via comments section below!



Mike Jackson, President
Wild Frontier Foods
907.945.3777