Supreme Lobster is proud to introduce one of the most ecologically conscious & sustainable aquaculture operations ever created.  

Seville, Spain's Veta La Palma Lubina (Sea Bass), Daurade (Sea Bream) & Liza Ramada (Grey Mullet) have played roles in some of the finest kitchens in Spain, New York & Yountville California. Now for the first time, these truly exquisite animals will be available to Chicago Chefs. The Veta La Palma species are raised to the world's highest levels of sustainability & are considered to be the pinnacle caliber of European Farmed Species on Earth.

Veta La Palma is a vast farming estate covering more than 27,000 acres situated in the heart of the Marshlands of Spain's Guadalquivir River and is the first of it's kind in the world; a completely self renewing farm.

Once a natural wetland that was drained to raise cattle, a sophisticated reverse pumping and channeling system was developed to reestablish a marshland habitat on the Estate lands by drawing water in from the Atlantic via the nearby river. This new ecosystem benefits from a natural filtration process of aquatic vegetation that results in the natural cleansing of the water, which leaves the farm cleaner than it comes in. This natural enhancement to the environmental quality of the entire area has created a habitat for raising fish species native to the area such as Lubina (Sea Bass), Liza Ramada (Grey Mullet), Daurade (Sea Bream) and Meagre (Corvina - When in season) in natural, pristine conditions while simultaneously becoming one of the largest bird sanctuaries in Europe, attracting almost 250 species of birds to the Estate annually. Those fish lost to birds are simply viewed as a sign that the entire ecosystem is balanced and thriving, a completely unique & revolutionary way to view a farming operation.   

earthrise - Veta La Palma, 'Algae-Culture' fish farm

Veta la Palma's food chain starts with simple micro alages, produced naturally by the sun and waters. Mysis shrimp thrive on the algae, larger Camarones shrimp feed on the Mysis, the fish feed on the Camarones, and Flamingos and other rare birds feed on the fish. Humans in turn harvest the fish for haute cuisine. The entirety of the process, coupled with thriving aquatic plants, effectively filters and cleans the river waters, so that the water that runs back to sea is in fact cleaner than when it flowed into the farm. The farmers at Veta la Palma quantify the whole process as 'fish farming that is extensive, not intensive'.

Of a total of the 27,000 acres held by Veta La Palma, over 8,000 are involved in low density, "free water" aquaculture. The fish farming production involves the application of advanced sustainable aquaculture technologies, starting with native fry that are raised to size by resident biologists on a natural algae diet. Once released into the free flowing ponds and lagoons, they feed on the rich nutrients and sea life of the Atlantic which flow into the tidal estuaries, providing them a natural diet of shrimp, smaller fish and aquatic insects already contained within the stabilized biological ecosystem. Unlike other aquaculture environments where the fish are fed on an artificial diet that can be enhanced with growth hormones, these fish are all natural and are as close to wild fish as could be found in an controlled environment.

Once matured to market size each fish is Hand Harvested using Cast Siene Nets, bringing the animals out of the water alive where they are then submerged into an ice slurry bath quickly bringing down the core temperature preserving the natural state of the pristine flesh. The flavor of the Lubina & Daurade boasts a clean natural bright salinity that's accented with notes of cucumber, melon & shellfish depending on the season.

"We call it the pata negra of sea bass," says Hisparroz president Luis Contreras, referring to the highly prized Spanish ham made from Ibérico pigs. Like those pigs, Veta la Palma's fish not only forage for most of their own food (shrimp instead of acorns) but enjoy longer lives than their industrial counterparts. Most sea bass is harvested when it's big enough to fill a plate - about 14 oz. (400 g). But at Veta la Palma, they wait until each fish weighs 2 lb. (1 kg), a process that takes three to four years. The result - as with pata negra pigs - is superior flavor. Chef Dani García, of the Michelin-starred restaurant Calima in Marbella, uses Veta la Palma's fish in one of his signature dishes. "It actually tastes better than most wild sea bass," he says. - TIME MAGAZINE

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1902751,00.html#ixzz1s8ONIYjx

James Beard Award Winner Dan Barber of Blue Hill Farm is a proponent of Veta La Palma's seafood, not only because of its sustainability practices, but because the fish are simply delicious. "Veta la Palma's fish is unlike any farmed fish I've ever tasted," he says. "It's unlike any fish I've ever tasted. It's sweet and clean - like tasting a bite of the ocean." 

Dan Barber: How I fell in love with a fish

These impeccably refined animals are harvested to order & will be available to Supreme Lobster customers on a preorder basis. Be sure to check with your Supreme Rep for information on pricing & lead times.