The price of lobster could become a shell of itself as the mild winter might allow lobstermen to start catching lobsters earlier, thus, potentially driving down prices by offering a greater supply.
Steve Woodman, co-owner of Woodman’s of Essex in Essex, Mass., said that while it remains to be seen whether lobster prices will drop for the summer season, the prospects look promising.
“It’s all about the lobstermen getting out there earlier,” said Woodman. “If they start the season earlier, the prices can certainly go down earlier.”
Woodman said that if lobstermen are able to get that head start and catch enough lobsters, consumers could see prices going down “some time” before the 4th of July, then going up in price that holiday weekend, and then coming down again. The potentially lower prices might be seen late into the season, too, according to Woodman.
“If it all works out, you could see lobster prices even lower around Labor Day,” said Woodman. “They are still catching lobsters later in the season until the weather gets bad.”
It’s not all about catching lobsters that determines pricing, said Woodman. Because the economy has become more global in recent years, most of the European markets, for example, buy from Canada, feeling that it is cheaper to do so. Locally, however, places like Woodman’s foster relations with North Shore of Massachusetts lobster vendors, therefore, keeping the lobster market local and under better control.
The prospects for a good lobster catching season and lower prices ultimately shows greater promise this year on the North Shore than last year when the cold winter wreaked havoc in so many ways.
“Unlike last year when the colder winter delayed how much lobster could be caught, this year does look better,” said Woodman. “What really controls the pricing comes down to who catches the lobster and packs them. It helps when the lobster trawlers are able to come in closer and earlier, and when the lobstermen are able to guess where the lobsters are going to be.”
“We are hoping on being a little ahead of schedule this year,” concluded Woodman. “There are early signs that it is going to be better, but we’ll really have to wait and see.”
Stay tuned on late breaking lobster pricing news in New England! We’ll provide updates to this post when we receive more info. Also, I wanted to share with you a review I wrote on Woodman’s a while back. I personally feel they are one of the best seafood restaurants for fried clams and lobster in all of New England…
Woodman’s of Essex – Birthplace of the Fried Clam
Woodman’s of Essex in Essex, Mass., is a household name in New England, and with good reason: its founder Lawrence “Chubby” Woodman invented the fried clam here more than 100 years ago.
Today, Woodman’s is a thriving local and tourist favorite on the North Shore of Massachusetts that also specializes in lobster, lobster rolls, New England clam chowder and other seafood, but it is the fried clam that impresses me most. Yes, New England offers many great seafood shacks for fried clams, but for some reason Woodman’s goes way beyond those destinations. They just know what they are doing, and the heaping fried clam portions further help the matter.
“Zagat” sums Woodman’s up best: “A cult classic—right up there with baseball and apple pie, this Essex icon is an enduring American cult favorite.” Forbes FYI also acknowledged Woodman’s as having “the best seafood in America.”
While positive media accolades are always nice, it is the constant year-round crowds that truly confirm this seafood shack’s greatness. The locals know their seafood best. The customer base validates Woodman’s greatness, with the crowds sometimes seeming as populous as all the fish in the sea!
Woodman’s Seafood Restaurant is located at 121 Main St. in Essex MA. Tel. (978) 768-6057
Woodman’s of Essex:Five Generations of Stories, 100 Years of Recipes
