CENTER STORE NEW PRODUCTS: Paula Deen Bows Frozen Seafood Line

Celebrity chef Paula Deen is introducing a new line of frozen seafood products expected to hit retail in the fall of 2009.

Deen, known for bringing southern flavors to the masses on the Food Network and through her magazine, Cooking With Paula Deen, will market the brand under the “Paula Deen Southern Dishes” name. Major targeted accounts include QVC, Target, Costco, Publix, Walmart and Sam’s Club, Wegmans, Hy-Vee, Meijer, HEB, Dierbergs, and BJ’s Wholesale Club.

The line includes the following items, some inspired by recipes at Deen’s Savannah, Ga., restaurant, The Lady and Sons: Savannah Crab Cakes, Deviled Crabs, Stuffed Lobsters, Key Lime Butter Salmon, Stuffed Seafood Roll-ups, “Shore is Good” Crab Dip, Home Style Breaded Shrimp, Cajun Spicy Breaded Catfish, BBQ Peeled Shrimp, Stuffed Flounder, Crab Stew, Crab Cake Sliders, and Stuffed Snapper. Incorporated into some of these dishes will be Deen’s signature “Mama’s Deviled Crabmeat” stuffing.

The products will be merchandised in the freezer aisle, but can be prepared by retailers for sale at deli and hot food counters. Package sizes range from 9 ounces to 16 ounces, with suggested retail prices of $6.19 to $12.69.

Deen teamed up with Gobo Enterprises to create the new line of frozen cuisine. The Seattle-based company develops and markets products through retailers such as Costco, QVC and Publix.

“[Deen] has a passion for sharing her Southern recipes with fans across America,” said Gobo CEO Bill Lile. “We mirror Paula Deen’s recipes, making them affordable and available in a multitude of venues.”

Deen has also entered into a partnership with B. Lloyds, a Thomasville, Ga.-based mail-order nut company, to combine the company’s nuts with a series of staple dishes including salads and desserts. These recipes will be available at her Web site,  www.pauladeen.com, and in Cooking With Paula Deen.

“Whether it is enhancing traditional breakfast foods, sprucing up a salad or reinventing traditional desserts, our work with B. Lloyd’s will find new, tasty and healthy uses for their amazing products,” said Deen.
—C.W. Thompson
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