Larry’s Catch is a seafood delivery and subscription service founded by Glen Creaser, James Quinn and Javier Mejorada. It is named for Creaser’s dad, Larry, a fisherman who used to send his son seafood from their home province of Nova Scotia to Ontario. By working directly with certified sustainable family fisheries spanning Canada’s Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic coasts, Larry’s Catch has grown into a Canada-wide business serving thousands of customers. Most recently, Larry’s Catch opened a new warehouse in Vancouver, establishing a dedicated West Coast hub and marking a major milestone in progress from a small Canadian start-up to a national seafood brand. We spoke with Creaser to learn more.

What is your business called and what does it do?

Larry’s Catch is a Canadian seafood company that makes it easier for Canadians to buy high-quality, wild-caught Canadian seafood. We work with fishing families and suppliers across the country, flash-freeze seafood at peak freshness, and deliver it directly to customers’ doors.

What made you want to do this work?

I grew up in Nova Scotia, in a family that has been fishing for generations. My dad, Larry, was a fifth-generation fisherman, so great seafood was just part of everyday life for us.

When I moved to Ontario, I was shocked by how difficult it was to find the same quality of Canadian seafood I grew up eating. Canada produces some of the best seafood in the world, but so much of it leaves the country. That disconnect ultimately became the idea for Larry’s Catch.

We named the business after my dad as a way of honouring him and the fishing communities I grew up around.

What problem did you want to solve with the business?

We wanted to make Canadian seafood easier for Canadians to actually buy.

Our seafood industry has traditionally been incredibly good at getting Canadian seafood into markets around the world, but much less infrastructure has been built around selling it domestically. At the same time, grocery store shelves are filled with seafood from all over the world.

We thought that was backwards. We have three oceans and some of the most sought-after seafood on the planet. Canadians should have better access to it.

Who are your clientele/demographics?

It’s fairly broad, but our core customer is someone who cares about where their food comes from and wants to eat well without making dinner complicated.

We have a lot of young families and busy professionals, health-conscious customers looking for high-protein options, and people who simply want to support Canadian producers. We also have a big following among East Coasters living elsewhere in Canada who miss being able to easily get the seafood they grew up eating.

How does your business make money? How does it work?

We’re primarily a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business. Customers visit larryscatch.com, choose individual seafood products or one of our curated boxes, and order either one time or through a recurring order option.

We work with Canadian fishing families and suppliers to source the seafood, it’s frozen at peak freshness, and we pack orders in insulated boxes with dry ice for delivery directly to the customer.

The idea is to make buying great seafood almost as easy as ordering anything else online.

Where in the city can we find your profession?

We’re a little different because there isn’t a Larry’s Catch storefront you need to visit. Toronto customers can order from us online and have their seafood delivered right to their door.

Toronto has really been the city where Larry’s Catch grew from an idea into a business, even though today we serve customers across most of Canada.

What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.

Ask: “Where did this seafood actually come from?”

A seafood company should be able to tell you the species, where it was caught, how it was caught or raised, where it was processed and how it was handled before it reached you.

For us, traceability is incredibly important. We want customers to know that they’re buying Canadian seafood and, wherever possible, know the fishing family, community or fishery behind it. Seafood shouldn’t be a mystery product.

What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?

The best part is seeing the impact on both sides of the supply chain. We get messages from customers saying something tastes like the seafood they grew up eating, while at the same time we’re creating more domestic demand for Canadian fishing communities. That’s incredibly rewarding.

The worst part is probably the logistics. Canada is a massive country, and shipping frozen seafood from coast to coast while keeping everything at the right temperature is not a particularly forgiving business. Weather, couriers and delays definitely keep us humble.

What is your favourite joke about your own profession?

My dad spent his career catching fish. Somehow I followed in his footsteps and spend most of my day refreshing tracking numbers to figure out where the fish are.

Where can we follow you?

Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?

We love Nice Cans. They’re doing a great job of making tinned seafood feel fresh, modern and exciting while still putting a real emphasis on sustainability, quality and knowing where your seafood comes from.