The idea of selling seafood to Edmontonians came to Pat Batten when she was stranded in the Vancouver airport while on her way to Mexico. Sitting in the departure lounge, the only other people to talk to were a fisherman and his family.
After a lengthy conversation, Pat was convinced of the advantages of selling quality fish that was collected by the B.C. fisherman in non-evasive fishing manners. After returning to Edmonton, Pat began selling the whole fish at farmers' markets in and around Edmonton. “We did seven markets a week to give clients quality fish,” says Pat, co-owner of Ocean Odyssey Inland.
Their quality fish became increasingly popular, so Pat and her husband Darrell opted to open a storefront in 2005, so clients could visit and ask questions about fish and seafood. “Many clients come in and are surprised by how much fresh fish we have. Edmontonians are used to having frozen fish but we’re hopefully changing that,” says Pat.
Now with a larger storefront located a mere 30 steps away from their previous location, the owners remain firm on finding seafood products that are fished using sustainable methods. “The fact that we bring in wild fish is unique,” says Pat. “We look very carefully at where our fish are coming from. That way we can tell a customer where their fish comes from, how it’s been raised or sourced so they have some faith in what they’re eating.”
