Foremost Seafood in Kettering: ‘They’ve created something very special’

The founder

Patterson’s dad, Tom, started Foremost Seafood in 1983 after returning to his hometown of Kettering from studying Marine Biology at the University of South Florida and doing various apprenticeships at national marine fisheries and working at shrimp farms in Central and South America.

He started out by selling shrimp wholesale from his parent’s basement and expanded to a brick-and-mortar space three years later.

Tom died unexpectedly last May. Patterson said he was diagnosed with cancer, but after his first round of chemo he had complications and then went into septic shock. He was 69.

“His body just couldn’t fight the fight anymore,” Patterson said. “It was like he would take one step forward and then two steps back.”

She described her dad as one of her best friends and said she feels humble to carry on her dad’s legacy with her mom, Pam.

“They’ve created something very special,” Patterson said. “That’s what I don’t want to let go of.”

Where the seafood originates

Foremost Seafood works with more than 50 different suppliers from all over the world, including Canada, the Caribbean Islands, Chile, the Gulf of Mexico, Indonesia, the Lake Erie area, Iceland, the Mediterranean Sea, New England, Russia, Scotland, Thailand and Vietnam, to offer the freshest seafood to those in the Dayton area.

With wild-caught and farm-raised seafood (fresh or frozen), Foremost Seafood has more than 300 different varieties.

Quality is one of the most important factors for Foremost Seafood. Patterson said they work with suppliers that buy from what they call day vessels or day boats — meaning they’re going out, bringing the fish back and then shipping the fish all in the same day. As for the farm-raised fish, Foremost Seafood works with vendors that raise fish ethically and responsibly.

“Just like anything, if you raise something right you’re going to get a good product,” Patterson said.

What Foremost Seafood offers

The top seller at Foremost Seafood is a farm-raised salmon from Scotland, followed by king crab legs, scallops, lobster tails and snow crab, Patterson said. Seasonality typically drives their top sellers. For example, when it’s soup season a lot of people buy haddock to make soups or chowders. She also noted a lot of people have started making sushi at home, so they have several sushi grade options like tuna or steelhead trout.

Foremost Seafood does not do in-house cooking, but does offer recipes and tips when it comes to cooking seafood. The boutique seafood shop also has several dry goods to help with cooking.

The business is 51 percent wholesale and 49 percent retail, Patterson said. In 2023, they served 101 wholesale institutions including caterers, hotels, casinos, restaurants, grocery stores, churches and everything in between. About 10 years ago, they served around 50 wholesale accounts.

Aquaculture is important to meet demand

As world events and global warming continue to impact the seafood industry, Patterson said her dad always stressed that the ocean could not be the only source for seafood.

“He believed in aquaculture before aquaculture was big or even a thing,” Patterson said. “He definitely would tell you he was a conservationist at heart.”

Patterson believes more people are willing to experiment and try different kinds of seafood. She mentioned as people want to eat healthier, they typically look towards seafood.

Even after 40 years in the business, Foremost Seafood still gets new customers.

“We’re very humbled and are so grateful for this community who have supported us over the last 40 years, whether that’s individuals or restaurants, because we wouldn’t be here without them,” Patterson said.

More details

Foremost Seafood is located at 1912 Woodman Center Drive in Kettering and can be contacted at 937-298-1986. For more information, visit foremostseafood.com or the establishment’s Facebook or Instagram pages (@foremostseafood).