From Fish Fingers to Truffles and Ants: Vičiūnai’s Salmon Flavors Astonish the World
A new era of fish craftsmanship is being born in Plungė – the salmon destined for Japanese gourmets and Canadian restaurant guests will be prepared right here in Lithuania. The rapidly growing new Vičiūnai Group factory marks the beginning of a new stage in the industrial park’s development. Until now, the complex processed various types of fish, but the new facility will focus exclusively on salmon. This opens entirely new possibilities for customers, with new preparation methods, recipes, and raw materials being introduced.
Leaders in Sustainability and Technology
The new factory will not only triple salmon processing volumes but also become a benchmark of sustainability and technological progress in Lithuania, competing on a global scale. Today, salmon products from Plungė already reach the markets of France, the USA, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and others — and the new factory’s production is eagerly awaited in Asia as well.
“We are both young and experienced — we have more than 20 years of expertise, yet we constantly search for new paths, flavors, and solutions,” says Artūras Rudgalvis, Director of the future Vičiūnai ir partneriai factory. He emphasizes that this development is also the company’s response to global challenges related to climate change and food safety.
Salmon in Every Form and Flavor
While salmon farming is rapidly evolving, the new factory will also be able to offer wild salmon, depending on customer needs. “We will work with all salmonid species — not only Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), but also pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), chum (Oncorhynchus keta), sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka), and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch),” says A. Rudgalvis. “This flexibility will help avoid seasonality and ensure consistent supply. If needed, we will work with wild salmon. And if fishing becomes restricted due to quotas or environmental regulations, we will continue with farmed salmon from Norway, Scotland, the Faroe Islands, and other aquaculture leaders. With land-based farming growing worldwide, the new factory will also engage in that direction in the future.”
The product range will also expand significantly. Previously, customers mainly purchased frozen or cold-smoked salmon, but the new facility will produce marinated, hot-smoked, portioned, and differently cut products, packaged in vacuum or protective gas.
Vičiūnai Group Product Group Manager Sigitas Steponavičius notes:
“Every customer can get exactly what they need — from raw fillets to delicately marinated portions for restaurants. The new equipment will allow us not only to prepare salmon using almost every known method but also to cut and package it in the exact shape and size required by the client.”
Sustainability as a Daily Practice
According to experts, farmed fish is among the most environmentally sustainable animal proteins. Its feed conversion rate (the amount of feed needed to produce 1 kg of product) is the best among all animal proteins. Additionally, the feed is plant-based, and far fewer resources are used compared to livestock production.
“It is not only healthy but also responsible — for people and for the planet,” emphasizes Sigitas Steponavičius. “Aquaculture products are both a delicacy and a key part of healthy meal planning — and among the most environmentally sustainable foods.”
International Recognition and Ambitions
Vičiūnai Group’s salmon products have repeatedly received international awards. The new factory will allow faster and easier implementation of new recipes created by the company’s food technologists.
“Our specialists constantly seek inspiration for new recipes around the world,” says S. Steponavičius. “We also have masters whose recipes have been recognized at specialized fairs and presentations. The new factory will allow us to fully realize this creative potential — offering consumers both beloved classics and new, innovative products.”
In May this year, at Seafood Expo Global 2025 in Barcelona, UAB Vičiūnai ir partneriai won two prestigious Seafood Excellence Global Awards for presenting new product ideas. These awards are among the most important international recognitions in the seafood industry, with participants competing from more than 50 countries. The awards were given for truffle-infused smoked Atlantic salmon and cold-smoked salmon with ants.
“These awards are a recognition of our creators’ imagination and capabilities,” says Andrius Dombrauskas, Head of the Technology Division. “For the factory, it is not only global acknowledgement but also proof that the products developed in Plungė compete with the best in the world.”
A Lithuanian Response to the World: Flavor, Sustainability, Innovation
Today, Vičiūnai Group exports its products to more than 60 countries. The new factory represents far more than a threefold increase in production or expanded market reach into Japan and Canada. The rising mastery of salmon craftsmanship in Plungė is Lithuania’s message to the world: flavor, sustainability, and food innovation — all in one package.