(Blog previously released in Aug. 16, 2019 Louisiana Seafood News)
As Director of the Twin Parish Port District, and Delcambre Direct Seafood, Wendell Verret is well known throughout the region. In July, Louisiana Seafood News asked him about one of the newest ventures he's directing, Louisiana Direct Seafood Shop, the e-commerce site where many in the Delcambre Direct fishing community sell their seafood online (LouisianaDirectSeafoodShop.com).
How is LouisianaDirectSeafoodShop.com different from other online seafood sellers?
- Wendell Verret: We are unique in that we sell the catch that fishermen have caught and packed themselves. These are small family-owned businesses, we call them microprocessors, from South Louisiana who have been fishing the waters of the Gulf of Mexico their whole lives and often for several generations. They have taken the next step from catching seafood to adding value to their catch by packing and selling it themselves. All seafood is caught and landed in Louisiana, and it is among the world’s highest quality.
How do you determine what fish to sell at LouisianaDirectSeafoodShop.com?
- Verret: We source all fish directly from the fishermen, so we're heavily dependent on the seasonal catch. We don't maintain large storage capacity and that ensures fish and other seafood are as fresh as can be. During the summer, crab, red snapper, grouper, and catfish are plentiful.
What’s new?
- Verret: We're sourcing new items weekly and as the seasons change. There’s a great deal of excitement around the recent introduction of three new blue crab products-Jumbo Lump, Backfin Lump, and Claw Meat under our own Vermilion Bay Sweet label. Inshore shrimp season recently opened August 5. We’re in the process of revitalizing LouisianaDirectSeafoodShop.com for a sleeker look and more robust content, and expect the new site to debut soon.
What’s your average day like?
- Verret: My office is located in Delcambre, Louisiana, on the Gulf Coast of south Louisiana. Every day is different, and much of my activity has to do with working with the fishermen who provide the products for Louisiana Direct Seafood Shop, and administering and managing all affairs of the Twin Parish Port District (including legal, financial, marketing, planning, operations, and HR).
What do you find most interesting about your job?
- Verret: We're always looking for that next project or collaboration, so the process of conceiving, designing, and implementing new initiatives is of great interest to me and gets me highly motivated.
Louisiana Direct Seafood
Louisiana Direct Seafood Shop is now featuring catfish, black drum, grouper and red snapper fillets, blue crab, shrimp patties, and shucked oysters.
Available for nationwide and local delivery, the Louisiana Direct Seafood Shop website stocks an exceptional variety of seafood. The menu changes seasonally, and you'll often find specialty items like turtle, squid, alligator, and more throughout the year.
The Shop's direct sales help Louisiana fishermen increase their sales by offering a variety of seafood caught, packed, and frozen along Louisiana's Gulf Coast.
Louisiana Direct Seafood Shop offers in-person delivery to customers within 50 miles of Lafayette, Louisiana. Orders for delivery beyond that are sent via FedEx. Visit the website to order.
If you enjoyed this, check out:
- 7 Frequently Asked Questions about the Delcambre Shrimp Festival
- 5 Things You Didn't Know about the Delcambre Shrimp Industry
- Secrets from a Shrimp Queen
