Lobstering has a long history. With that long history comes generations of families spending countless days out on the water waiting for their perfect catch. You see, lobstering isn’t just a job, it is a culture and with every culture comes a story. Behind every hard working Maine family that is in the lobster industry comes an extensive narrative that not only describes their job as a lobsterman, but their life as a lobsterman. And in this philosophy of the lobsterman lies the secret to their success, it’s in their story. If you went up to any Maine lobsterman, they could spend hours talking about how they either got into this industry or were simply born into it. They could tell you how they’ve spent hours painting buoys, stuffing bait bags, and banding lobsters. They could fill your head with endless facts about lobster you wouldn’t think one person could know. They could even tell you the story behind why their lobster boat was named after their mother or sister. These things are why people are so fascinated with the lobster industry, it’s not just about indulging in the little creatures, but knowing there is a story behind every lobster caught.
We stumbled upon an amazing blogger named Christina who writes a coastal Maine food and travel blog titled Maine-ly Lobster, and she shares this same philosophy. That the success to the lobster industry is in its history and story. Christina grew up in a small lobster fishing village called Cutler. Her story of being in the lobster business is that like many others who grew up alongside their fathers and brothers, except unlike most girls she worked as a sternman on her father’s boat, which of course was named after her, The FV Christina Marie. She spent school breaks and summers working with her family repairing lobster traps, painting lobster buoys, stuffing bait bags, and wrangling up lobsters. Up until college she worked with her father in the family business and still to this day, working in advertising in London, lobstering still runs vigorously through her blood. In one of her blog posts titled “The Secret to Selling Maine Lobster? It’s in the Story.” She describes perfectly why people across the country love Maine lobster, they not only love the product itself but the idea, culture, and people behind the product. My favorite thing that Christina says in this post is:
“In Maine, lobstering is such a way of life that we take for granted the intimate connection we have with our environment. Beyond Maine, especially in city centers constructed of concrete and steel, the concept of wrestling one’s living from a wild and unforgiving ocean is exotic and intriguing, as is the idea that one’s work day can be dictated by the wind and the tides. The vast majority of Americans have never met a lobsterman. Few have had the experience of harvesting their dinner. As the world becomes increasingly globalized and urban, so does our desire for a provenance story – a story of the craft, authenticity, and personality of the place and people behind the things we buy.”
This could not have been said in a better way than how Christina says it in this excerpt. This paragraph is exactly what we strive for at Maine Lobster Now. I cannot tell you how many customers have asked us on the phone “Where exactly do you get your lobster, are you really in Maine?!” and “Can you guarantee we are getting an authentic product?” We love answering those questions because it gives us the opportunity to tell them our unique story. Our history in the Maine lobster business and how family oriented this business is. Maine Lobster Now stays strictly in the family, which is why our business is so authentic. The Klenda family has been in the lobster industry for over 30 years and we take enormous pride in selling the freshest, wild caught lobster, lobster tails, lobster meat, and other delicious products to our customers! What’s amazing is the response we get from our customers, who love purchasing wild caught Maine lobster from us because they love our story, they can connect with us. That is all we strive for in every order we ship out, is making people all over the country part of our story, history, and culture.
