BELA x noissue
You can never have too much tinned or canned food in your pantry. It’s convenient, accessible, and can serve as various meal courses—from appetizer and snack to the main dish. Depending on the contents of it, it can also be a reliable, healthy option or addition to your diet, making it a versatile staple in many people’s kitchens.
Back in 1997, former veteran Joshua Scherz witnessed the slow decline of canneries in New England and the US. In his dismay, an opportunity presented itself: to bring back a little bit of life to fishing as a way of life and canning as an art, he collaborated with a family-owned factory based in Portugal to realize the seafood brand that BELA has become today.
BELA honors tradition, craftsmanship, and sustainability by doing things the right way since the beginning. They source seafood from pristine, non-industrial waters in Europe, hand-packed by their Portugal-based, family-owned canning partners, and shipped in sustainable packaging from noissue. Now that’s a brand you can trust!
Read on to learn more about BELA!
Tell us a bit about your brand!
BELA is a heritage-driven seafood brand rooted in Portugal and New England, built around the belief that good fish brings people together. We source responsibly, honor tradition, and bring a warm, familiar energy to the modern pantry. For us, “Fish Means Family”—in how we source, how we cook, and how people enjoy BELA at home.
Tell us about your packaging, how you’re using it, and the importance of it for your brand.
Packaging is the first moment people feel the BELA experience. Our noissue pieces help us create a thoughtful, gift-worthy unboxing—whether it’s a holiday set, a subscription box, or a simple reorder. The textures, colors, and details all reinforce what BELA stands for: care, craft, and quality.
What made noissue a good fit for your packaging?
The alignment in values. noissue gives us beautiful, customizable, sustainable packaging that feels true to who we are. It lets us elevate every shipment without compromising on environmental responsibility or design consistency.
Where are you finding inspiration for BELA and in life at the moment?
We’re always inspired by the worlds that shaped BELA—Portuguese canneries, New England kitchens, family tables, and the rise of modern tinned-fish culture. BELA lives in the space between heritage and the new wave of food storytelling, and that blend keeps us energized.
BELA’s featured products: