Scallop sizes explained: choosing the right count for your program
On the New Bedford waterfront, two scallop lots can land on the same morning and tell very different stories. One may carry the big, clean U/10 count that restaurants want for an entrée. Another may offer smaller 20/30 scallops that make more sense for portion control, prepared meals or high-volume foodservice. For seafood buyers, count per pound shapes everything from pricing to presentation. So the best count really depends on the job the scallops need to do. What common scallop sizes actually mean Scallop sizes tell buyers how many individual scallops usually make up one pound of product. While exact sizing can vary slightly between suppliers and landings, these categories give buyers a reliable framework for comparing products and planning orders. Size What it means Typical use U/10 Fewer than (under) 10 scallops per pound Premium presentation 10/20 10 to 20 scallops per pound Restaurants, retail, premium frozen packs 20/30 20 to 30 scallops per pound Portion control and food service 30/40 30 to 40 scallops per pound Prepared meals, mixed seafood, value menus In simple terms: Larger scallops usually command higher prices per pound, but buyers need to judge scallops by more than just how big they are. MORE: New Bedford scallop prices: What moves the market? Why the biggest scallop does not always mean the best buy Buyers typically pay more for larger scallops. A U/10 scallop delivers a very different product experience than a 20/30 or 30/40 count. It gives restaurants a stronger center-of-plate presentation and helps retailers create a more premium product. Cassie Canastra Larsen, CEO of Canastra Fishing Co. and the Buyers and Sellers Exchange (BASE), looks for a healthy spread between size categories. “I like seeing that natural spread,” Cassie says. “It means you’re getting paid for the better product.” But size alone doesn’t carry the price. A larger scallop still needs the right quality, color and consistency to earn its premium. Scallop size helps set the expectation. Quality decides whether the product lives up to it. RELATED: The value of an experienced fishing crew for seafood buyers How scallop size affects ordering decisions The best scallop orders usually start with the intended use. From there, buyers can weigh size, price, and availability against what the product needs to deliver. Menu Larger scallops, like U/10 or 10/20, are often used for dishes where presentation plays a major role. Smaller sizes may work better in seafood pasta, mixed grills, chowders, skewers or composed dishes where consistency and portion flexibility matter more than visual impact. Retail packs A premium frozen pack often needs a count that looks generous, clean, and high value at first glance. That can make U/10 or 10/20 scallops a strong fit. For family packs, value-led products, or mixed seafood items, the priority may shift toward versatility and portion economics. Portion control A restaurant serving three large scallops per plate needs a different buying strategy from one portioning scallops by weight for salads, bowls or prepared meals. For multi-location foodservice programs, finding a supplier that offers consistent count ranges helps control plate cost across menus. Availability Not every scallop size is consistently available throughout the year. Landings, weather, fishing areas and market demand can all affect which scallop sizes buyers can secure. A buyer may prefer one count on paper, but the market may point toward another. RELATED: How vertically integrated U.S. fisheries benefit seafood buyers Size is only one part of the scallop spec Scallop count gives buyers a useful starting point, but it shouldn’t carry the whole sourcing decision. Product origin affects both traceability and availability. Domestic scallops offer a clearer sourcing story, especially when sustainability-focused customers expect more transparency from their seafood. Grading consistency also deserves to be part of the scallop buying conversation. Buyers need scallops that look, cook and portion reliably across each case. A mixed or uneven lot can create problems even when the count looks right on paper. Moisture content, handling and meat condition all affect how scallops perform during thawing, cooking and plating. So, the real question for buyers becomes whether your supplier can deliver to these standards consistently. RELATED: How MSC certification strengthens confidence in seafood sourcing Match the scallop size to the seafood program Scallop count should be treated as a guide, not a be-all and end-all of sourcing criteria. The number on the box helps narrow the choice, but the product still has to perform once it reaches the kitchen. Smart buyers need real market context to make the best decisions, not just a count range. Contact Canastra Fishing Co. to learn how market insight, domestic sourcing and New Bedford experience can support your seafood program.
New Bedford scallop prices: What moves the market?
New Bedford scallop prices can be as volatile as the ocean itself. One week, strong supply can soften pricing. The next, limited volume, larger sizes, better quality, or more active bidding can push prices higher. In most cases, larger scallops command higher prices. But size alone doesn’t carry the market. Buyers still look closely at quality, yield and consistency before paying a premium. Cassie Canastra Larsen, CEO of Canastra Fishing Co. and the Buyers and Sellers Exchange (BASE), sees those forces play out every day. They shape what buyers pay, what fishermen earn, and how far seafood companies can plan ahead. Understanding those shifts starts with the market forces behind every bid. How New Bedford scallop prices are set Scallops are a significant driver behind New Bedford’s title as the nation’s highest-value fishing port. BASE sits at the center of New Bedford’s daily scallop pricing, where buyers weigh up size, quality, volume and demand in real time. The Canastra family’s digital system helped turn New Bedford’s traditional seafood auction into a more transparent marketplace. Today, BASE is widely recognized as the largest public fish auction on the Eastern Seaboard, giving buyers and sellers insight into what moves New Bedford scallop prices. “Everyone’s always asking what’s going to happen with pricing, but you never really know,” Cassie says. “It depends on the sizes coming in, the areas, and how much volume you’re getting at a given time. Right now, it feels like the market is figuring itself out.” Auction activity The Northern Gulf of Maine scallop season opens in April, and the first landings can move the market quickly. “When the season starts, you get a lot of volume, and the price kind of takes a little bit of a drop,” Cassie says. “Then it just, sort of, finds its plateau.” The auction creates pricing through real-time buyer activity. When several buyers compete for the same product, prices rise. When fewer buyers bid, prices can hold steady or soften. “When the auction runs, someone doesn’t just step in and say, ‘I’m paying $18.’ It’s activity-based,” Cassie explains. “If you have three or four buyers competing, the price goes up. If you only have one, that’s the number. The price creates itself. It’s literally the bidding process.” MORE: The domestic wild-caught whitefish species buyers need to watch in 2026 Scallop size and quality Size plays a major role in New Bedford scallop prices, but not in isolation. The market groups scallops by count per pound. The lower the count, the larger the scallop, and the higher the price usually climbs. But quality decides whether that larger size earns its full premium. Buyers also look at meat condition, yield, appearance and consistency across the lot. A larger scallop with strong yield and clean presentation can attract more competition. A larger scallop with poorer quality may not pull the same price. Recent auction data showed a clear premium for U10 scallops over smaller count sizes, underscoring how strongly size can shape the market. Cassie looks for a healthy spread between those size categories. Larger scallops should command a clear premium over smaller sizes when quality supports that difference. When that spread holds, the market has a clearer sense of value. When it narrows, buyers and sellers may read that as a sign that the market still needs to settle. “I like seeing that natural spread. It means you’re getting paid for the better product,” Cassie adds. MORE: Why domestic seafood creates a more reliable supply chain Scallop volume When fewer scallops come in, buyers have less product to compare across size categories and quality. That can make pricing feel tighter, especially when auction activity stays limited. With larger volumes, the market has more to sort through. Prices can move more sharply when buyers disagree on the value of a specific size or lot. Fleet behavior matters, too. If too many vessels fish the same area at the same time, a sudden wave of landings can put pressure on pricing. When boats spread out across different areas and openings, supply reaches the market more steadily. MORE: The value of an experienced fishing crew for seafood buyers How fishing conditions affect scallop prices Climate, fishing patterns, and opening schedules can all influence scallop pricing before product reaches the auction. Colder winters can improve yield because scallops tend to have better meat density. Stronger yield can make the product more attractive to buyers, especially when quality stands out across the market. This season, much of the product has come from the Mid-Atlantic, from waters off New York and Long Island down toward Virginia. “The product looks really good this year. We had a cold winter, and that helps a lot with yield,” Cassie says. But in the longer term, warming waters and changing habitat conditions could create uncertainty for the scallop fishery. And dwindling domestic supply can lead to a greater reliance on imports, again affecting price. MORE: What is redfish? A practical guide for buyers and marketers Why market visibility matters for scallop buyers Scallop buyers can’t control what lands, when boats fish, or how active bidding becomes on any given day. But they can make better decisions when they have a clear view of the market. Visibility helps buyers understand whether a price reflects short supply, strong demand, premium sizing, better quality or temporary auction pressure. It also helps them decide when to move quickly, when to wait, and when to adjust size preferences based on availability. Giving that transparency through the auction matters because seafood pricing should reflect real market activity. For a species as valuable and unpredictable as scallops, buyers need more than a price. To stay afloat, they need the context behind it. MORE: Saving the stories behind America’s most valuable fishing port Canastra Fishing Co. brings auction knowledge, domestic supply experience, and honest pricing to every scallop conversation. Drop us a line to see what’s landing now.