The upcoming Easter long weekend is the perfect excuse to get together with family, and seafood is the ultimate family feast, whether you're firing up the BBQ or sitting down to a roast...  

Sydney Fish Market is stocked and waiting to supply you with Australia's freshest seafood for the special occasion. We are continuing the tradition of offering extended trading hours on Good Friday, with retailers opening their doors from 5am-5pm on Friday 29th March. Business will continue as usual over the remainder of the long weekend, with retailers open from 7am-4pm daily. 

If you're planning on getting some Aussie seafood on the table this Easter, here are some of our top tips for choosing the freshest product. 

Buy Local 

Australian product is the freshest at the Market, for obvious reasons. But you can take your seafood purchasing skills one step further by asking your fishmonger where in the country a certain species comes from. The closer its catch location is to home, the fresher the product will likely be! 

If you're visiting Sydney Fish Market, keep your eyes peeled for products from NSW suppliers, including fishers cooperatives like Newcastle, Nowra, Ulladulla, Bermagui, Wallis Lake, Port Macquarie, and Coffs Harbour.  

Some locally-supplied species that will be in great form at Easter time include: 

• Octopus (from Coffs Harbour, Macleay, and Bermagui). 

• Mud and Blue Swimmer Crabs (from Wallis Lake, Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Macleay, Ballina, and the Hawkesbury). 

• Yellowfin Bream (from the Clarence River and Wallis Lake). 

• Grey Mackerel (from Ulladulla, Coffs Harbour, and the Clarence River). 

Get Up Close and Personal 

To choose the freshest seafood, you need to use all of your senses. Don't be afraid of getting close to the product to check it out – staff at Sydney Fish Market will happily provide you with a pair of gloves! 

• Look for shiny, lustrous-looking skin or scales, firm, intact flesh (with no marks or tears), and bright, pink-red gills. Make sure all mussel or pipi shells are closed, or close when gently tapped. 

• Touch the flesh of fish to ensure it feels firm, and springs back when pressed. Make sure crabs feel heavy for their size. 

• Listen to make sure there is no sound of sloshing water inside crabs when gently shaken. 

• Taste the prawns you are thinking of purchasing – the staff will give you one to try! 

• And most importantly, smell everything you are hoping to purchase. If something's wrong, your nose will tell you! 

Ask your Fishmonger 

Fishmongers spend all day, every day working with fresh Australian seafood. They know which species have come in fresh that morning, and what is in season. So, ask them! 

The best part about this method of seafood shopping is that you might be recommended something you've never tried before, and lesser-known species are not only more sustainable, but also often the cheapest. Don't worry if you're not a kitchen whiz; your fishmonger can also give you some tips on how to cook your picks! 

We hope to see you down at Sydney Fish Market over the Easter long weekend, utilising these freshness tips for your own seafood shopping. 

Remember: We offer extended trading hours on Good Friday, with retailers opening their doors from 5am-5pm on Friday 29th March. Business will continue as usual over the remainder of the long weekend, with retailers open from 7am-4pm daily.