If you’ve ever walked into Nordic Fish and felt like the seafood counter had a “captain’s confidence” to it—there’s a reason. Jardar Nygaard has spent decades in the buying, sourcing, harvesting and production side of the seafood world, with a career that started early and has never left the water. Born in Norway and shaped by a life around fisheries and aquaculture, Jardar grew up fishing and began working in fish markets as a teenager and has been in the industry ever since.
In 1990, Jardar helped launch Fjord Fisheries with his family, building a reputation for quality and know-how that seafood lovers across Fairfield County came to trust. He later became the sole owner (2001–2012) before selling the business in 2012—then continued expanding his work in sustainable seafood through aquaculture, including large scale oyster cultivation right here in Connecticut.
When Nordic Fish opened in Fairfield, the mission was simple: bring a true fish market back to town—and raise the standard while doing it. The result is a market built on knowledge, sustainability, and heritage, where fish is purchased whole and prepared in-house, and where customers can count on guidance, transparency, and serious respect for the product.
Today, Jardar continues to push seafood in a better direction—supporting regional producers and short supply chains through projects like Oceans 180, built around bringing seafood to market with fairness and freshness at the center.
At Nordic Fish, Jardar’s philosophy is straightforward: “Beyond Fresh means we stand by the freshness of our seafood—and we bring the knowledge to back it up.”
