Fishwife

Spanish and Portuguese conservas inspired Fishwife, the Los Angeles tinned seafood company Becca Millstein and Caroline Goldfarb launched in 2020.

About Fishwife

Based in
Los Angeles, California
Founded
2020
Known for
tinned fish and seafood inspired by Spanish and Portuguese conservas

The idea dates to 2015, when Becca Millstein was living in Spain and eating the local tinned fish. She and Caroline Goldfarb launched Fishwife in 2020, starting with a test box of tins from would-be suppliers that sold out almost at once. Fishwife sources from fisheries certified by the Marine Stewardship Council or the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, as well as from fishery improvement projects working toward certification, and works with six canneries in Washington State, Spain, Denmark and Scotland.

The company's stated mission is to make sustainably sourced tinned seafood a staple in every cupboard. The range takes in several kinds of fish, some of it smoked.

Tinned fish is eaten over rice, on buttered toast or straight from the tin with crackers.

Fishwife questions

What are conservas?

Conservas is what people in Spain and Portugal call tinned seafood. Tuna is usually packed in olive oil, while other conservas come in sauces such as escabeche, a tangy vinegar and paprika sauce, or salsa gallega, made with paprika and onion. They are often served straight from the tin with crusty bread. Becca Millstein was inspired by conservas while living in Spain in 2015.

What do MSC and ASC certification mean?

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) sets a science-based standard for sustainable wild fishing, and its blue label goes only on wild seafood from fisheries certified to that standard. The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certifies farmed seafood, with standards aimed at environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Fishwife sources from fisheries certified by one or the other, as well as from fishery improvement projects, which are fisheries working toward certification.

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