Executive Briefing
Why’s everyone talking about tinned fish?
Fishwife, a Los Angeles-based startup, is reinvigorating a grocery category one can at a time.

For the canned tuna aisle — like many sections of the grocery store — 2020 was a growth year, as the Covid-19 pandemic suddenly forced everyone to prepare their own lunch every day.
But in many American food markets, the tinned fish section still leaves much to be desired: Flavorless store-brand tuna, big cans of apocalypse-proof salmon, and a lone stack of sardines — if you’re lucky. Inexpensive and nutritious, sure, but hardly inspiring.
So it’s been fun to watch Fishwife founders Becca Millstein and Caroline Goldfarb spin up a new, exciting tinned fish startup here in Los Angeles in just a few months, including their latest product, a rainbow trout that’s smoky and a little sweet.

Like many of my favorite startups, Fishwife’s founders are focused on product quality, supply chain integrity, educating consumers, and building a brand community — not chasing fads or playing up nonsense ingredients.
It’s still very early, but Fishwife — which bootstrapped to get going, and recently raised a small pre-seed round — is already a case study for how curious and ambitious entrepreneurs can start to rejuvenate a seemingly forgotten grocery category.
The New Consumer Executive Briefing is exclusive to members — join now to unlock this 1,500-word post and the entire archive. Subscribers should sign in here to continue reading.

Hi, I’m Dan Frommer and this is The New Consumer, a publication about how and why people spend their time and money.
I’m a longtime tech and business journalist, and I’m excited to focus my attention on how technology continues to profoundly change how things are created, experienced, bought, and sold. The New Consumer is supported entirely by your membership — join now to receive my reporting, analysis, and commentary directly in your inbox, via my twice-weekly, member-exclusive newsletter. Thanks in advance.