THE aroma of sizzling garlic prawns lured thousands of seafood lovers to the Queensland Seafood stand at this year’s Brisbane Ekka.
Ten days of serving up local seafood was a resounding success, with over a tonne of prawns sold. The positive feedback for the fabulously fresh and simply cooked garlic prawns came from every direction: even on the Ekka-bound buses, the word had spread quickly about the quality of the prawns at the QSIA food stand.
The QSIA stand has been many months in the making to present a stand that catered for both information and seafood sales. The stand was located in the Woolworths Fresh Food Pavilion, which is the showcase area for Queensland produce.
The centerpiece of this pavilion is the Taste of Queensland Stage, where the best of the seasonal regional products are key ingredients in recipes prepared by the Taste of Queensland Coordinator, Alison Alexander (who is also coordinator of the famous Hilton Hotel master classes).
Also appearing on this stage were several of Brisbane’s top chefs, including Executive Chef Andrew Mirosch, whose dishes featured HerveyBay scallops and deepwater king prawns.
Over the week, Alison and fellow presenter Peter Howard invited several fishers to join them on the main stage to talk about their products and the fishery from which they came, effectively bringing the ocean to Ekka.
While there were the well-known species such as scallops, king prawns and barramundi on show, the emphasis was on the lesser known and underutilised species that are great value for the family.
BribieIsland beach fisher Greg Savige not only appeared on the main stage talking about mullet but also starred in a short beach fishing documentary preceding the cooking demonstration. This proved to be very effective and entertaining.Spanner crabber Richie Hamilton, Chairman of the Gold Coast Fisherman’s Co-Op wowed the crowd with his skilled spanner crab processing.
Spectacular fish and prawns from North Queensland. The red spot king prawn cutlets out of Townsville and superbly presented Blue Salmon and Barramundi fillets from Pro Quality Seafood in Ayr, were the centerpiece for a North Queensland seafood promotion on the Saturday and Sunday.
The Wednesday, which is People’s Day and an official holiday for the show in Brisbane and some other parts of south-east Queensland, was also Mooloolaba Prawn Day. Vicki Brown and her Mooloolaba Prawn Team of Paul Higginbottom and Paul Williams actively promoted Mooloolaba prawns both on the main stage and at our QSIA stand on a very busy day for all volunteers.
Throughout the Ekka, sponsoring retailers and wholesalers came along to the stand and handed out their brochures and business cards, talked to consumers and took the opportunity to build networks with metropolitan and inland businesses. The fishers provided first hand information and handouts to the many visitors to the stand.
The 10 days of Ekka certainly gave the industry the exposure that we hoped for, and the comments and questions endorsed industry’s belief that local seafood is undoubtedly the preference of seafood consumers in Queensland. So many times, we were asked “Where is your shop?”
For Ekka to have even been possible, there has been a lot of commitment by a small group of hard working volunteers supported from Head Office by Ashleigh Hoffman and the critical infrastructure support by Tony Reisenweber, Charter Freightlines & Storage and Tony Hurley of Raptis, and their outstanding efforts deserve to be acknowledged.
QSIA also wish to thank Stephen Haigh Jewellers of Hervey Bay for the donating the Fraser Island Pearl for the lucky draw prize.
On behalf of the seafood industry, a sincere thank you to the fishers, volunteers and allied businesses for their contribution toward the costs and hard work associated with supplying and manning the Queensland Seafood stand. Many worked tirelessly over hot woks whipping up garlic prawns, while others also worked hard keeping up with demand for the cold prawn lunch boxes, answering all sorts of questions from the public, lifting and stacking information material, carrying product and materials into the pavilion, processing and holding product in cold rooms offsite, and all the million and one jobs involved in an enterprise like this, plus sharing the stress and laughter that seemed to be bubbling in roughly equal quantities.
I believe it was a wonderfully rewarding event for the QSIA, the volunteers and for the entire Queensland seafood industry and, I hope, for everyone who contributed to its success.
Elaine Lewthwaite Chair QSIA Promotions Committee
QSIA is extremely thankful to all who have contributed to the 2009 Ekka promotion and wish to acknowledge their support:
A Raptis & Sons- Arabon Seafoods- ASP Holdings- Bay & Ocean Seafood- Bill & Joanne Henebery- Bill Gilliland- Bill Williams- Bowen Fishermans Seafood- Browns Slipway- Bruce & Barbara Morgensen- Charter Freightlines & Storage Pty Ltd- Dani & Jacki Keys- Danny & Judy Pope- Dave Sterling- David Lawrence- Fraser Island Peals- Gary Bainbridge- Gold Coast Fishermans Cooperative- Gordon Allan, Harbourside Distribution- Greg & Larraine Smith- Greg & Debbie Saverin- Greg Savige- Jamie Vallance- Jim & Karen Saverin- Julian Gardner- Kevin & Kathy Reibel- Kevin & Vicki Baker- Lawnton Gourmet Seafoods- Lounds Fresh Seafoods- Michael Gardner- Mooloolaba Tourism- Murphy Operators Pty Ltd- Neil Green- Noan- Pam Bolan, Pro Quality Seafoods- Paul Higginbottom- Paul Williams- Peter Hovat- Peter Neville- QFresh Seafoods- Richie Hamilton- RJ & L Fellow- Stephen Haigh Jewellers- Stephen & Kayleen Downey- Terry & Vicki Burnett- The Bowerman Family- Urangan Fisheries
Hervey Bay Seafood Festival 2009
This year's Fraser Lions Hervey Bay Seafood Festival is the food event of the year for the Fraser Coast.
On Sunday August 16, seafood foodies have an even greater occasion to enjoy the best from the pristine waters of Hervey Bay with more stalls, more seafood on sale then ever before with treasures and the pleasures of seafood harvested locally.
Festival coordinator Elaine Lewthwaite said, 'In response to the huge turn out last year, we have taken on board the need for more of just about everything and expanded the festival with provision for 90 sites'. Highlights for the fishing industry will be the Hervey Bay Fisheries, Seafood and Seafarers Stage, where industry is celebrating along with Queensland's 150 year anniversary with the launch of The Changing Tide- a history of professional fishing Tin Can Bay to Burrum Heads.
Please visit our website www.herveybayseafoodfestival.com.au for more information on the festival and our fabulous team of sponsors and volunteers.
