With families now able to gather in larger numbers at home this Christmas seafood sales are expected to be busier than ever.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But despite interstate suppliers targeting the NSW market Grant Logue, at Harley & Johns Seafood in Fairy Meadow, is determined not to take the cheaper option as prices fall because of the trade war with China.
"Every wholesaler I know has contacted me wanting to sell me lobsters from Western Australia which are being offered cheaper," he said
But Mr Logue is determined to remain loyal and support local fishers after such a challenging year.
"We will not be stocking Western Australia lobsters this Christmas for a few reasons," Mr Logue said.
"After the year we have had it is important to try and keep money local. I have always supported local suppliers wherever I can."
Mr Logue said he was determined to keep using local fishermen such as Mark Maher who have been supplying the business seafood in Wollongong for 38 years..
"We have a great working relationship. He is like part of the family. We have always stocked local lobsters and anything else we can buy local we do," he said.
"The fishermen we deal with have been supplying Harley & Johns Seafood for more than three decades and I don't want to jeopardise that relationship."
Mr Maher said it was impossible to describe just how important such support was for local fishermen.
"Everyone benefits from local business supporting local," he said.
"I have been supplying Harley & Johns since it was in Wollongong Harbour."
Mr Maher said he sources his lobsters from the northern Illawarra coastline which he mostly sells locally but some goes up to the Sydney markets.
He said it was a struggle when prices dropped $20 to $30 recently but loyal clients such as Harley & Johns were still willing to pay him a good price for his catch.
Mr Logue said people seemed really keen to gather as a family this Christmas after so many restrictions in 2020.
"This will be the first chance in nearly 12 months for them to get together," he said.
"Our Easter trade was impacted significantly but I think we are getting back to what the new normal is.
"It is going to be hard next week because I don't know how much busier we are going to be.
"We are getting a lot of phone calls about people coming down for Christmas this year because they can't travel overseas. I think Boxing Day we are going to be really busy as well."
Harley and Johns Seafood will be open from 6am to 3pm Christmas Eve and 10am to 2pm on Boxing Day.
Read more:
- 2020: See all the extended Christmas trading hours and festive activities at Wollongong Central including free parking on Boxing Day
- 2020: Santa helps KidzWish deliver an early Christmas surprise for 300 children
- 2019: Fairy Meadow business provides customers a chance to buy seafood for Christmas and pay for it later
- 2018: Prawns aplenty at Harley & John's for annual Christmas Eve seafood stampede
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.