New survey reveals over 80% of people don’t know what scampi is

A recent survey of 500 British shoppers, conducted by reveals that 80% of people are in the dark about what scampi is made of, further reinforcing the fact that many of us aren’t aware of what is in our seafood products.

• Only 18.6% of shoppers know what scampi is made from
• 33.79% thought scampi was made from prawns
• 19% didn’t have any idea what the seafood product is made from

Despite the fact that the delicious coated seafood is purchased by a whopping 5.8 million households across the UK, found that many people don’t actually know how the much-loved seafood product is manufactured or what it’s made from.

The survey found that 33.79% thought they were made of prawn,17.59% guessed Pollock, 11.07% believed it to be Monkfish and 19.7% thought it was something else entirely.

Scampi is in fact breaded langoustine, a small crustacean that are members of the lobster family! Their scientific name is Nephrops norvegicus, to get even more technical…

The Yorkshire seafood obsessives believe that scampi is the forgotten ‘jewels’ of the sea, and want to highlight the importance of knowing where your seafood comes from. Whitby Seafoods have been catching scampi in the waters around the British Isles since 1985 and bringing them back to their site in Whitby, the home of scampi!

Laura Whittle, Sales & Marketing Director at Whitby Seafoods commented:
“We were genuinely surprised to find out that people are enjoying scampi but don’t really know what it is…especially as it’s a really such a great British treasure of a dish. We sell over a million portions of scampi a week and we want everyone who eats it to know it’s made with wild-caught British langoustine. We are on a mission to reignite the nation’s love of scampi and let them know just how special it is! Hopefully, knowing this, more people will eat it more often at home and not just save it for a seaside treat.”

have seen a 32% rise in households buying into the brand this year! And whilst they are thrilled that so many new customers are scoffing their delicious seafood they want to ensure they are doing so with the confidence that it is honest and proper grub with no hidden ingredients. Whitby Seafoods Whole Scampi is made from 100% Langoustine.

The seafood brand has recently diversified its product offering to include fishcakes, whitebait, calamari, lemon and pepper fish goujons and a gluten-free range! All of which are made with top-notch ingredients and packed full of flavour. What’s more Whitby Seafoods are a member of the Sustainable Seafood Coalition and work actively with their fishery partners to ensure the industry is as sustainable as can be.

Whitby Seafoods hope that by dispelling some of the myths surrounding seafood and by making it safe and easy to cook more people will be able to enjoy their delicious products.