Please wait

Contact

37-39 rue Boissière
75016 Paris
France

Phone : 01 41 40 99 80

GaultMillau © 2025 All rights reserved

Live algae

Live algae

Mathilde Bourge | 7/4/25, 3:39 PM
Disable your adblocker

Ewen Frin, 28, founder of Omanori, is revolutionizing Breton gastronomy by supplying it with fresh seaweed thanks to an innovative system of preservation in ponds.

Based in Saint-Malo, Omanori meets a growing demand from restaurateurs to offer local, healthy and sustainable seafood products. Fascinated by the ocean since his childhood in Brittany, Ewen Frin has long been a scuba diver and spearfisherman. After studying business in Normandy and spending five years in Paris as a consultant, he decided to return to his roots.in Brittany, I had an intimate knowledge of the richness of marine resources, particularly seaweed," he confides. When I discovered that seafood cuisine in Paris was often limited to over-fished products such as salmon or tuna, I wanted to promote local, virtuous species."

He quickly became interested in seaweed, a natural product with often underestimated gustatory and nutritional properties. "Brittany is home to 700 species of seaweed, of which around 30 are authorized for consumption. Each has a unique flavor, texture and color. They are not widely promoted, however, because they are not part of our gastronomic heritage."

Traditionally, seaweed is marketed either dehydrated, or "fresh" but preserved in salt, which presents major drawbacks for chefs. "Salt, which is used to preserve seaweed, requires it to be rinsed abundantly before cooking, which alters it, causes it to lose nutrients and changes its texture", explains the seaweed grower. This is where Omanori breaks new ground with a revolutionary principle. Thanks to a partnership with a local company specializing in seaweed cultivation, freshly harvested seaweed (such as sea lettuce, dulse and aonori) is preserved in tanks, recreating its natural environment. This allows them to live for several weeks after harvesting. First picked by hand during high tides on the foreshore, they are then cleaned and purified in various basins.

"This process allows the seaweed to retain its taste and nutritional properties intact, as if it had just been harvested, even outside the period of high tides." Thanks to this innovation, Ewen Frin quickly won over prestigious restaurants such as Maison Vermer in Saint-Malo (2 toques), Ombelle in Dinard (2 toques) and Iodé in Vannes (3 toques).

At the same time, Omanori has developed a range of dehydrated seaweed for more practical use, notably in broths and sauces. Ewen Frin also works with food artisans, such as the Kerouzine cheese dairy in Vannes, with whom he creates seaweed cheeses. The young entrepreneur also offers marine herbs, such as wild fennel and sea fennel, which are much appreciated by chefs.

Omanori's approach is both gastronomic and environmental. Seaweed, naturally virtuous, needs neither fresh water nor pesticides to grow. What's more, their cultivation contributes to marine biodiversity, providing shelter for numerous species. "Seaweed cultivation is good for the environment, and a product of the future that has a place in tomorrow's cuisine", concludes Ewen Frin.

Disable your adblocker

These news might interest you

La tomate, fruit du Nouveau Monde et du monde nouveau
Craftsmen & Know-How
La tomate, fruit du Nouveau Monde et du monde nouveau
« Légume » le plus cultivé dans le monde, la tomate attire les convoitises et les innovations. Elle montre jusqu’où les modes de culture actuels peuvent aller, voyageant à travers tous les continents et dans des milliers de préparations. En France, on s’est attaché à elle en toute saison. C’est le légume frais le plus acheté et on ne sait plus cuisiner sans, même si l’on a failli perdre son goût. Mais celui-ci revient depuis une vingtaine d’années, grâce à des producteurs qui lui font également retrouver ses sublimes couleurs !
Pâtiss'Art announces its first edition with Nina Métayer as godmother
Craftsmen & Know-How
Pâtiss'Art announces its first edition with Nina Métayer as godmother
Normandy goes pastry. From October 26 to 28, 2024, the first Pâtiss'Art show will be held in Deauville. For the occasion, the godmother will be none other than Nina Métayer.
Les Crayères célèbrent la 15ᵉ édition du Marché des Producteurs
Craftsmen & Know-How
Les Crayères célèbrent la 15ᵉ édition du Marché des Producteurs
Les 20 et 21 septembre 2025, les jardins du Domaine Les Crayères à Reims se transformeront en véritable temple du goût à l’occasion d’un événement gourmand devenu incontournable : le Marché des Producteurs.
Pas de friture sur la ligne entre Christophe Hay et Sylvain Arnoult
Craftsmen & Know-How
Pas de friture sur la ligne entre Christophe Hay et Sylvain Arnoult
Longtemps réservés aux guinguettes et auberges de bord de rivière ou de lac, délaissés en cuisine – souvent pas manque de savoir-faire –, les poissons d'eau douce retrouvent aujourd'hui la place qu'ils méritent sur les tables gastronomiques. En fonction des saisons, les brème, aspe, alose, carpe... font ainsi leur retour sur les cartes des restaurants.
Nicolas Adam, Stéphane Terlet et le “meilleur beurre du monde”
Craftsmen & Know-How
Nicolas Adam, Stéphane Terlet et le “meilleur beurre du monde”
À Maël-Pestivien, dans les Côtes-d’Armor, un éleveur de vaches Froment du Léon et un chef doublement toqué tissent depuis plusieurs années une histoire de goût, de fidélité et d’engagement. Le beurre qui les unit ne ressemble à aucun autre.
Pierre Duplantier : l’éleveur qui a troqué le lait pour les volailles d’exception
Craftsmen & Know-How
Pierre Duplantier : l’éleveur qui a troqué le lait pour les volailles d’exception
Sortir d'un système agricole productiviste n'est jamais facile. Pierre Duplantier, ancien éleveur laitier, a osé changer le cours de sa vie. Il s'est affranchi d'une production peu rémunératrice pour se lancer dans l'élevage de volailles haut de gamme destinées aux chefs et aux gourmets.
Become Partners