Michael F. Foley
The Foley Fish Co.
As the grandson and son of fishmongers, Michael F. Foley has seafood in his blood. As the former head of the Foley Fish Company, Foley used his familiarity with the New England tides to help his customers keep their blood and bodies healthy. The company’s latest achievement in this realm is the new Protein Pack program (https://shop.foleyfish.com/products/foley-protein-pack-variety), which packages the freshest seafood available in heart-health portions that can be shipped near and far.
A former Naval officer and Harvard graduate, Foley is also the author of Swimming Upstream: Four generations of fishmongering.Foley’s dedication to keeping the family tradition alive by providing quality fish and never compromising has recently been extended further with the addition of his daughter Laura Foley Ramsden as the new owner. Together, they are well prepared to take the historic family business into the uncharted waters of COVID-era business and beyond.
Matt’s Meals: What makes your product different and what do you hope to bring to market?
Foley Fish is 100% all natural with no chemicals or preservatives, which is very, very rare in the unregulated seafood industry. Further, our fish is only 24-48 hours out of the water, so it is differentiable in its freshness. We are now bringing our all-natural seafood directly to consumers through our Foley Protein Pack program. Customers can order 100% natural Foley fish that has been deep frozen at the peak of freshness. www.Foleyfish.com/seafood is the link.
Matt’s Meals: When did you start working on your first product and what had you been doing previously?
Our company was founded in 1906. That was when we first started selling fish in Boston. We now ship across the country. After graduating Harvard and getting a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Chicago, I served as the Vice President at Continental Bank in Chicago.
Matt’s Meals: To whom did you look for business advice?
My father was my mentor.
Matt’s Meals: What have been the biggest challenges you have faced and how have you dealt with them?
We have faced supply challenges owing to fishery management measures that protected the biomass but made it harder to source fish. We worked very hard to develop multiple buying relationships in each of the New England ports so we wouldn’t have to be hostage to what was (or wasn’t) landed in each port each day. We wanted to make sure we didn’t have to compromise our standards because our customers rely on us for consistency.
Matt’s Meals: What do you most look forward to in the coming year in terms of your business?
The end of COVID and the lifting of dining out restrictions.