Shetland mussel firm to become more efficient and greener with HIE funding

Seaspray (Shetland) Ltd operates a mussel packing station on the waterfront at Laurenson Quay, Lerwick. 

Mussels are prized for their quality and are packaged and sold under the ‘Shetland Select’ brand to hotels and high-end restaurants across the world.

The company is investing in an automatic shellfish weighing and packing machine, which will replace the current dual-machine process and reduce electricity usage. The new method can bag mussels 10 times faster than the existing process.

Aiming to reduce the material consumption of current plastic nets by 30 percent, the project will use a machine that clips, labels and cuts a continuous net to the exact size needed for each bag, eliminating the need to ship individual bags from China.

This equipment will be available for the packaging of other shellfish products, which will enhance opportunities within the Shetland shellfish sector.

The business was established in 2007 and was acquired by current owners Gordon and Julie Johnson in 2016. The management team was further enhanced in 2024 with the addition of two young director/shareholders, Ross and Gayle Macdougall. The mussels are sourced from three local family-owned producers, C&A Thomason, Vementry Aquaculture and Selivoe Shellfish.

They currently have five staff in the factory and are recruiting another. The project is expected to support a solid increase in turnover and grow additional international sales by more than £100k.

Confirming the HIE investment, Catherine Hawick, development manager at HIE's Shetland team, said:

“We are delighted to support Seaspray (Shetland) Ltd in their innovative project to enhance production efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. It’s great that the business is investing in innovative ways to make the business more sustainable and efficient, and making a positive contribution to the local economy.”

Gordon Johnson, said:

“We are extremely pleased to have the support of HIE to enable this project to proceed. In the current economic climate we need to invest in efficient processes, reduce environmental impacts and maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace. Our suppliers are the backbone of the business and this project will also provide a sustainable outlook for us all going forward.

"We have such a wealth of top-quality seafood from our Shetland waters that we must ensure our provenance and deliver our products to customers in the best condition possible.”