Live algae

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.