What Is Tinned Seafood?
Tinned seafood includes octopus, squid, mussels, clams, scallops and more, using the same small-batch, hand-packing methods as the sardine and tuna canneries. These are often cooked and preserved in olive oil, brine, ink or a sauce, ready to eat with no further preparation as a tapas dish, or used as a salad topping, or a quick addition to pasta. Our tins are sustainably sourced from Portugal, Spain and the UK.
Tinned Seafood by Type
Mussels
Mild, slightly sweet, and a good entry point if you're new to tinned shellfish. Available in escabeche (pickled) or simply preserved.
Clams
Small, tender and briny, good on their own or stirred through a quick pasta sauce.
Octopus
Tender when properly prepared, with a firm bite. Maruxaina's version in olive oil is a straightforward way to try tinned octopus for the first time.
Scallops
Delicate and slightly sweet, often served in a traditional regional sauce rather than plain oil.
Squid
Available whole, stuffed, or as calamari pieces, in ink, oil or a spiced sauce. One of the most versatile tinned seafood options.
Our Seafood Brands
Maruxaina
A Galician conservas producer sourcing from the Rías Baixas, the nutrient-rich estuaries of northwest Spain famous for shellfish. Their octopus, scallops and clams follow traditional Galician recipes, including their scallops in a tomato, onion and paprika-based Galician sauce.
José Gourmet
A Portuguese brand known for artist-illustrated tins and traditional hand-packing. Their squid and calamari tins apply the same small-batch approach used across their sardine and mackerel range.
Rockfish
A British seafood brand founded by chef Mitch Tonks in Brixham, Devon. Their Lyme Bay mussels and squid in ink use sustainably sourced British and Atlantic seafood.
Hevva!
A small-batch Cornish cannery based in Bude, North Cornwall. Their Cornish mussels follow the same sustainably-sourced, simply-preserved approach as their sardines.
Health Benefits of Tinned Seafood
- Excellent source of protein
- Rich in vitamin B12, zinc and selenium, octopus and squid in particular are a good source of these.
- Mussels and clams are among the most sustainable seafoods, as filter feeders, farmed mussels and clams need no additional feed, which is one reason bivalve shellfish is often highlighted as a lower-impact seafood choice.
How to Eat Tinned Seafood
- Straight from the tin as part of a tapas spread, with bread and a squeeze of lemon
- Stirred through pasta - squid, mussels or clams all work well with garlic, chilli and white wine
- On a seafood platter alongside tinned fish, olives and pickles
- In a quick paella - tinned mussels and squid are a traditional addition
- Warmed gently - some tins, like scallops in Galician sauce, are even better served warmed through.
How to Choose the Best Tin of Seafood
- Type of preparation - plain oil or brine lets the seafood's natural flavour come through; regional sauces (Galician, ink, escabeche) add more complexity
- Origin - Galicia (Spain) has a particularly strong reputation for shellfish conservas, while Portugal and Cornwall each have their own traditions
- First-timers - mussels and clams tend to be the most approachable starting point; squid in ink and octopus are a bigger step up in flavour intensity
Frequently Asked Questions
Is tinned seafood as good as fresh?
Tinned seafood is cooked and preserved at peak freshness, often within hours of being caught, so it is extremely high quality.
Is tinned octopus or squid healthy?
Yes, both are high in protein and a good source of vitamin B12, zinc and selenium.
What's the difference between tinned mussels and clams?
Mussels tend to have a slightly stronger, more savoury flavour, while clams are milder and more delicate. Both are commonly available in brine, olive oil or escabeche.
Are mussels and clams a sustainable choice?
Farmed mussels and clams are generally considered one of the lower-impact seafood options, since they filter their own food from the water and don't require additional feed.
Can you eat tinned seafood cold?
Yes, although some products, like scallops in Galician sauce, are often served warmed rather than straight from the tin.