• The Pezconocidos project helps to add value to the fish catch, as it uses currently underutilised fish species

• Thanks to this product, 20 tonnes of fish have been used, but it is only the first one to be presented as part of this joint collaboration

• This Thursday the product will be enjoyed in the more than 200 canteens managed by the Compass Group. The initiative will also be promoted through an outdoor campaign in Madrid, Barcelona and Vigo

Madrid, 7 June 2023 – Coinciding with the celebration of World Oceans Day, Ángel León, the Nueva Pescanova Group and the Compass Group are launching the first product that emerges from the Pezconocidos project: a hamburger made with fish species that are rarely consumed today. Pezconocidos is a sustainability and gastronomic innovation initiative through which the three project members aim to optimise the use of 100% of the fish catch. This product will be available in more than 200 business centres and also in cafeterias of health centres managed by the Compass Group across Spain, where more than 70,000 people enjoy their meal every day.

The fish used are blackbelly rosefish, beaked redfish, chub mackerel and mackerel. Despite their high nutritional value, some of them are not widely marketed and are therefore inaccessible to the general public. To promote this project, the Chef of the Sea, Ángel León, has designed several recipes with a Michelin Star seal. The first is inspired by Cadiz (Spain) and consists of a grilled fish burger, mayonnaise marinade, pickled glasswort and payoyo cheese on a tasty brioche bun.

This first action has enabled the use of 20 tonnes of fish, but this burger is only the first of the products that the Nueva Pescanova Group, Ángel León and the Compass Group will be launching as part of the Pezconocidos project. In this sense, and in line with the objectives of the partnership, new gastronomic innovations will be introduced in the near future, including other fish species such as the splendid alfonsino, the cape horse mackerel, the silver scabbardfish, the pomfret, the snoek or the grenadier.

Juanjo de la Cerda, Corporate R&D&I Director of the Nueva Pescanova Group, explains that “marine resources are limited and it is therefore essential to find solutions that allow us to make the most of all fish catch. The result could not be better: a product that not only contributes to the sustainability of the oceans, but is also tasty, healthy and nutritious”.

In this regard, chef Ángel León points out that “we know only 40% of the marine larder, and we are so selective and capricious that we only want certain species. There are many resources in the sea, but we are restricting them more and more. We need to be more open-minded and appreciate marine diversity as a way of preserving our oceans. And we need to find solutions to make the most of the protein we get from the sea”.

Fernando Pascual, CEO of Compass Group Iberia, explains that “our main concern is to provide quality meals, and we do so by taking into account the importance of a balanced, healthy and sustainable meal plan. In order to achieve this, it is essential to comply with our commitment to the ocean, valuing its biodiversity and promoting its conservation. The objective behind Pezconocidos is to involve our guests by sharing with them the benefits of consciously choosing these recipes, which are made from marine species that are not so highly valued and which boast great flavour”.

Introducing Pezconocidos to the general public

Pezconocidos has taken to the streets of several Spanish cities, including Madrid, Barcelona and Vigo, in a campaign that Pescanova hopes will raise awareness of the initiative’s aims: to contribute to making our seas and oceans more sustainable. To achieve this, it is necessary to make use of 100% of the fish catch, to give value to all fish species and to bring them to the attention of the public. Based on this premise, and by means of digital billboards, mupis or buses, the brand ” introduces” these lesser known fish species, which play a key role in ensuring the health of the oceans, and invites the public to find out more about Pezconocidos. Among the iconic places where it will be displayed are Madrid’s Plaza de Callao and Barcelona’s Plaza Catalunya.

In addition, on the 8th of June, World Oceans Day, anyone in Madrid who comes to the Terraces of the Thyssen Museum between 13:00 and 16:00 and the Terraces of La Consigna in Príncipe Pío between 19:00 and 21:00, both managed by the Compass Group, will have the opportunity to enjoy this hamburger prepared following Ángel León’s recipe and will also receive a free gift.