Long John Silver’s Puts Vegan Seafood on the Menu

Long John Silver’s vegan menu is officially off the hook. It just became the first national seafood chain to add plant-based fish and crab cakes to the menu. 

The fast-food chain partnered with Gathered Goods, producers of Good Catch Plant-Based Seafood, to launch the vegan offerings. For a limited time, customers can order Good Catch Crab-Free Cakes and Good Catch Fish-Free Fillets at select locations in California and Georgia.

According to the vegan company, the brand makes its plant-based seafood using a proprietary blend of six different legumes: peas, chickpeas, lentils, soy, fava beans, and navy beans. 

The crispy, breaded fish-free fillets contain 12 grams of plant protein. And the crabless cakes feature 15 grams of protein and deliver a texture similar to that of conventional crab. Their taste is also on par with conventional crabmeat; They’re seasoned with sweet peppers, green onions, parsley, and a variety of spices.

Long John Silver’s Launches Vegan Seafood

According to market research firm Fact.Mr, the vegan fish market, which includes shrimp and crab, is booming. It’s predicted to be worth $1.3 billion over the next ten years.

And with more people seeking out plant-based options, Long John Silver’s addition of vegan seafood will help make it more accessible to those who choose not to eat fish, says the company’s vice president of marketing, Christopher Caudill: “We believe plant-based seafood furthers [our] mission by making Long John Silver’s accessible to guests who are hungry for more plant-based protein options.”

Plant-based chefs Chad and Derek Sarno founded Good Catch in 2016. The company aims to lessen the environmental impacts of the fishing industry, which is rife with overfishing, pollution, and contributes to global warming. “The work we do directly impacts our oceans and all that call them home,” says Derek.

In addition to crabless cakes and fish-free fillets, the company makes vegan fish sticks, fish burgers, tuna. 

Last week, the company made headlines after it launched a mobile food van—called OurWay—to give out free vegan fish subs in the U.S. and U.K. outside of select Subway stores. Subway recently came under scrutiny after a New York Times investigation into the contents of Subway’s popular tuna sandwiches. It found no traces of tuna DNA in the food.