Whoever thought that canned seafood could be so aesthetically pleasing? With Fishwife, tinned fish can become the center of attention at any party’s dinner table. Founded by Becca Millstein and Caroline Goldfarb, the company sources ethically cultured seafood and they secured a deal with Lori Greiner and Candace Nelson. After Shark Tank, Fishwife is worth an estimated $4 million.
The Founders
CEO, Becca Millstein delivered the pitch by herself and grabbed the attention of the Sharks. Before starting the business, the Los Angeles-based entrepreneur had a completely different career.
After getting a degree in history, Becca interned at several entertainment companies and handled a couple of roles in the theater department at Brown University. Eventually she focused on a marketing role with the renowned LA label Atlantic Records.
Co-founder, Caroline Goldfarb is a TV writer, with her most popular work being The Sex Lives of College Girls on HBO Max. In early 2020, the ladies went on a hike and realized how much Americans love canned fish, but there was no tinned seafood company based in the US. Immediately, they knew they had to fill this gap in the market.
Founding Fishwife
Becca and Caroline launched Fishwife at the height of the pandemic, which was perfect timing because canned goods had some of the highest demands at grocery stores during the lockdowns.
The term ‘fishwife’ originates from the 16th-century, where women sold fish while their husbands continued fishing. As time went by, people changed the meaning to women who were bold and foul-mouthed. Becca and Caroline related to this, so they made it their brand name.
The company continued to thrive even when the lockdowns eased up. From 2021 to 2022, Fishwife reported a 200% increase in annual revenue. Their sustainable sourcing and lively packaging caught the eyes of media outlets such as CBS and Detroit News.
Sadly, the ladies have fallen out as Business Insider reports that Goldfarb was sued because she wouldn’t hand over access to the company’s website, email or online accounts. The lawsuit claims Caroline stopped working for Fishwife in May 2021.
After Shark Tank
With their appearance on Shark Tank, Fishwife had a huge year. In 2023, the business made $5.8 million in revenue and will easily surpass $6 million in 2024. There is no evidence to suggest the deal with Lori and Candance closed/ Potentially the legal issues scared them off.
On their website, you can also find a store locator to see which nearby shops display Fishwife products in their canned goods aisle. Fishwife’s products are now available in Whole Foods stores across multiple states, including California, New York, Texas, Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Nevada.
According to Circana, US canned seafood sales have grown from $2.3 billion in 2018 to over $2.7 billion in 2023. Many sources suggest that the canned goods trend will continue in 2024.
The average seafood consumption in the US is among the lowest in the world. The Fishwife founders aim to contribute to changing that by continuing to produce ready-to-eat tinned fish and educating customers about seafood sustainability.
