How can a menu better describe local seafood?

• Consumers buy perceived experiences not products. A good menu will entice the customer to select seafood, if you tell a story about your product.
  
• Naming the area “Edward River Wild Barramundi” “Princess Charlotte Bay Prawns” on your menu or point of sale material conjures up an image that adds to the experience.

• Talk to your fishmonger about the consistency of supply from that area mentioned on the menu.

• ‘Tropical Fish’ and ‘Reef Fish’ tends to suggest that the quality may not be worthy of a name, or it could be from a tropical region or reef elsewhere in the world. ‘Reef’ can also be a negative to the environmentally friendly consumers. Customers may ask ‘Is it local?’

• Preferably using ‘Queensland Catch’ Fish of the Day’ on a menu would better describe the lesser known or lesser supply by good quality local seafood such as Mackerel, King Threadfin or Saddletail Snapper.

• Use enticing terms such as ‘WILD’ or ‘LINE CAUGHT’ to describe seafood that is not farmed.

• Acknowledging your supplier at the back of your menu. This shows you use local products.

• Use the Queensland Catch symbol next to local seafood on your menu and a denotation at the bottom of the page. (ask for the electronic logo & denotation)

• Tourists are looking for a ‘local’ food experience and locals are looking to support their community.

How your wait staff can sell more local Queensland Catch seafood?

• There is no better sales experience encounter, than that from staff member who knows their product.

• Product knowledge is paramount to selling seafood.

• Consumers are quite familiar with lamb, beef, pork, chicken etc, but not so familiar with the varieties of seafood; especially tourists.

• It is important that staff have strong product knowledge to feel confident in selling seafood.

• Giving your guests a tropical food experience is value adding your product. Get your staff to tell their guests incidental stories about seafood

e.g.:-

‘Did you know Barramundi starts its life as a male and then changes to a female?’

‘Did you know only male crabs are caught in Queensland’

‘Did you know for health reason it is recommended to eat 2 seafood meals a week?’

What does a retail assistant or waiters need to know about local Queensland Catch seafood?

Ask your staff to use these terms in their conversation with customers:-

• Queensland Catch seafood is sourced from some of the cleanest waters in the world

• Our local waters produce superior-tasting seafood.

• Queensland Catch is a symbol of locally wild caught seafood of the highest quality.

• It’s caught by local fisherman using environmentally sustainable methods.

Factsheets: Check out Queensland Catch section of this website for a list of fact sheets on the most popular seafood of this region. Here you will find relevant information to assist selling seafood to consumers

To sell seafood with confidence, staff needs to know more about each seafood variety you stock:-

Origin: of the seafood – most consumers are looking for local seafood – If they ask ‘Is it Local’ tell them “Yes, it’s Queensland Catch.” Find out where it’s sourced and let them know.

Wild or Farmed: Discerning consumers want to know if their seafood is wild caught or farmed. Know the difference!

Flavour: Is it a strong, mild, delicate or sweet flavour

Oiliness: Is the seafood low, medium or high in oil (remember this is the good oil – Omega 3)

Moisture: How moist is the seafood – high, medium, low.

Texture: Is the seafood firm, medium soft, delicate, Does it have large or fine flakes

Flesh Colour: Seafood can be white, cream, grey, pink or orange

Thickness: Seafood may be served as thick fillets, thin fillets, cutlets (across the bone), or whole

Bones: Seafood can be cut to have no bones, a few bones, pin bones, or central bones

Wine Suggestions: Seafood has a variety of taste that can be complimented by a well chosen wine; however it is worthy to consider other ingredients in the dish that may influence the choice.

Click on the fact sheets of seafood under Queensland Catch for suggested wines with each species.