Small Boats, Big Taste Chowder Program

In response to the fishing and food security challenges exacerbated by COVID-19, we launched a new program to accomplish two key goals:
• Help independent fishermen stay on the water
• Serve the growing number of people who need a good, ready-to-serve meal by supplying regional food banks with a nutritious, delicious seafood chowder

The program’s first chowder is a traditional New England haddock chowder. Smaller haddock are plentiful in our waters, but do not command a strong price in the marketplace because their fillets are small, making them perfect for chowder. We guarantee fishermen a fair price for landing haddock, ensuring a steady buyer and keeping independent fishermen at work. 

In the first year, we produced more than 725,000 servings of chowder and donated it to the region’s food banks, including The Family Pantry of Cape Cod, The Greater Boston Food Bank, Merrimack Valley Food Bank, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Worcester County Food Bank, New Hampshire Food Bank, Vermont Foodbank, Good Shepherd Food Bank, Connecticut Food Bank, Food Bank of Delaware, and Capital Area Food Bank. Chowder is also distributed locally through Family Table Collaborative, Cape & Islands Veterans Outreach Center, Barnstable Council on Aging, St. David's Episcopal Church, First Lutheran Church-West Barnstable, Kitchen 246, Community Table, Alzheimer's Family Support Center of Cape Cod, Helping Our Women, and Truro Community Kitchen. 

>> Download the July 2021 Chowder Infographic

Eventually, Small Boats, Big Taste chowder will hopefully be available in retail locations. Sales will help food pantries feed the hungry, and keep American fishermen doing what they do best: FISHING!

Revenue from these retail purchases will make the program self-funding, allowing continued chowder donations to food banks for years to come.  In the meantime, donations make a huge impact!

We also hope to expand the program to other kinds of chowders, perhaps including quahog or oyster stew, based on the needs of local fishermen, and seasonal availability of fish and shellfish.

Follow #smallboatsbigtaste for the latest updates.

It takes a village to fast track a new program and we could not have done it without our partners:
• Haddock fishermen
• Chatham Fish & Lobster
• Great Eastern Seafood
• Plenus Group, Inc
• The Greater Boston Food Bank
• Merrimack Valley Food Bank
• The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts
• Worcester County Food Bank
• The Family Pantry of Cape Cod
• Vervaine Design Studio
• Northeast Refrigerated 
• Catch Together

This program is made possible by funding from:
• Catch Together
• MIT Sea Grant Program
• Cape Cod Healthcare Community Benefits Program
• Individual donors