February 22, 2021 — At the beginning of the pandemic and over 1,000 miles from New Bedford, Britt St. George and Madison Lees quarantined in Florida with their father, John Lees, founder of Mar-Lees Seafood and current president of New England Marine; their mother; and their significant others, Zack St. George and Edward Smith.
It was a time in which scallops were a part of nearly every conversation, Madison Lees said, and not just because their father is in the business. It was because the family business was growing.
Zack St. George and Smith are the guys behind The Scallop Guys, a new direct-to-consumer business selling scallops caught by Lees’ five New Bedford-based vessels.
Zack St. George, 30, said the pandemic gave them the extra motivation and time they needed to finally plan and launch the idea they’ve had for years.
They also figured it would be the perfect time to sell scallops directly to consumers online as restaurants were either closed or running at limited capacity, he said.
“Now or never, now is the time to do it,” Smith, 27, said.