And it comes at an exciting time for us! Sea Tales is reaching more shelves and more seafood lovers across the U.S., and Lara will help us build on that momentum as we continue to grow our retail presence nationwide.
Lara brings more than a decade of experience helping consumer food brands grow through strong retail partnerships, customer development and national sales leadership. At Sea Tales, she will lead our U.S. sales strategy, retailer relationships and commercial growth - helping us bring responsibly sourced seafood to even more people across the country.
“Sea Tales has reached an exciting stage in its growth, and Lara is the ideal leader to help us build on that momentum,” says Sea Tales founder Bart van Olphen. “Her deep experience in the grocery industry, combined with her passion for building purpose-driven brands, will help us bring responsibly sourced seafood to even more retailers - and ultimately, more dinner tables.”
Bringing experience from across the grocery industry
Before joining Sea Tales, Lara served as Sales Director for Kroger, Target and Aldi at Bumble Bee Seafoods. She also worked at Delica North America, where she led strategy, innovation and national account development for major retail customers.
Throughout her career, she has focused on launching new products, building strategic retail partnerships and creating long-term growth.
“I've spent my career helping consumers discover innovative food brands, and Sea Tales represents everything people increasingly want from the products they buy - exceptional quality, complete transparency (they know their fisherpeople!) and a genuine commitment to sustainability,” says Lara. “I'm thrilled to join a company that's proving you don't have to choose between what's good for people, the planet and your plate.”
More Sea Tales on shelves across the U.S.
Lara joins us at an exciting time for Sea Tales in the U.S. Over the past months, we’ve expanded our distribution across several leading natural and specialty retailers.
Our new Cantabrian Anchovy Paste recently launched nationwide at Whole Foods Market, while Sea Tales products have also expanded into Earth Fare stores throughout the Southeast and New Seasons Market in the Pacific Northwest. Sprouts Farmers Market has also added our MSC-Certified Sardines in Spicy Tomato Sauce and Sardines in Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Chili to stores nationwide.
Our MSC-certified Anchovy Paste is made with wild-caught anchovies from Spain’s Cantabrian coast and gives home cooks an easy way to add rich umami flavor to everything from pasta sauces and dressings to roasted vegetables and seafood dishes.
And just like every Sea Tales product, it comes from a fishery committed to protecting healthy marine ecosystems while supporting the fishing communities that depend on them.
The next chapter for Sea Tales in the U.S.
More and more shoppers are looking for seafood that delivers on both quality and responsible sourcing. As our retail footprint grows, our goal remains the same: to make delicious, responsibly sourced seafood available to as many people as possible.
With Lara joining the team, we’re looking forward to bringing Sea Tales to even more stores, introducing more people to great seafood and continuing to support healthy oceans and thriving fishing communities along the way.
