Time to Add Shrimp to the Menu

It will be cost effective to consider adding shrimp to the "barbie" at your restaurant this summer, as a new forecast says a big price drop will prove to be good for diners and restaurateurs alike. 

The cost of shrimp has continued to come off of the record highs that were seen in recent years, making this the ideal time for chains to lock in prices as they prepare for late 2016 promotions and holidays, according to the mid-year purchasing update from supply chain management firm SpenDifference. The lower shrimp cost is due to a rebound in supply. Harvests fell dramatically in 2013, when a disease caused large scale die-offs of farm-raised shrimp and forced prices up to nearly $7 a pound for medium-sized peeled and deveined shrimp, a size found on many menus, said Andy Beaty, the firm’s director of seafood procurement. Now, the cost is approximately $4.25 a pound. Historically, shrimp production increases in summer and prices are at their lowest,  he said, adding that prices…