October 1, 2008

The granddaughter of Maine retailer L.L. Bean bought two lobster wharves in midcoast Maine last year and has quickly become one of the largest wholesalers in the state. She’ll sell about 2.2 million pounds of lobster this year under the Linda Bean’s Perfect Maine label (lindabeansperfectmaine.com). Each lobster is tagged with its port of origin, either Port Clyde (where Bean runs a general store) or the island community of Vinalhaven.

She also offers wild Maine shrimp, lobster stew and lobster roll. Bean’s goal is to use eco-friendly practices to build a sustainable fishery, while advancing the market on the Maine-lobster brand.
Additionally, she hopes to eliminate inefficiencies that have marred the old model of lobstering. “Typically, lobsters passed through at least five hands before they ever reached a table,” she said.