Plant-based seafood interest hasn’t quite captured the public’s imagination as much as other meat alternatives.

However, plant-based seafood brands like Toronto’s Seed to Surf are trying to draw attention to the nascent category.

Seed to Surf’s Vegan Tinned Fish products include four to five ingredients, which appeals to consumers looking for “better for you” products, in addition to vegans and flexitarians, which it’s going after via social media with a particularly strong presence on Instagram, but also TikTok. The company’s founder Alexandra Bergquist-Terplawy says it also actively participates in vegan trade show sampling to generate interest.

And now it’s hoping a newly minted team up with Whole Foods bears fruit.

Seed to Surf’s Vegan Tinned Fish is the first Canadian company to join Whole Foods’ LEAP program, the banner’s Local and Emerging Accelerator Program. LEAP, which launched in 2022, advances Whole Foods Market’s core value of seeking stronger partnerships with suppliers, where participants benefit from the mentorship of Whole Foods Market experts, educational programs and direct financial support. Seed to Surf is the first to represent Canada in the LEAP program, which attracted 1,000 applicants for 10 spaces.

Bergquist-Terplawy tells strategy it is looking forward to the learnings, mentorship and experience that the Whole Foods program will bring. “The conversations have been really promising,” she says, adding that the brand hopes to launch in Whole Foods Canada in 2024.

Plant-based fish food is a small, niche market that’s primed for growth, explains Bergquist-Terplawy, whose products are currently in 200 independant stores across North America. She adds that Seed to Surf is taking cues from premium tinned fish, which is “having a moment,” with brands like Scout Canning successfully countering consumer expectations of fish-in-a-can. “We want to be beside [premium fish] in our beautiful box,” Bergquist-Terplawy says.

Bergquist-Terplawy tells strategy that the brand is “leading with vegetables” in its messaging and packaging as it tries to stand out. It is not disguising the fact that it’s products are made from whole vegetables, such as enoki mushrooms and celery root, and flavored with seaweeds like kelp, knob, and kombu. It emphasizes its plant ingredients in playful packaging by Public House Studios, which includes both veggie and fish imagery.

PR support for the brand is done by AndSome, an agency that specializes in working with CPG brands.