Here’s some fantastic news for fish and chips lovers (which, let’s be real, is most of us): a popular fish and chips takeaway shop on the Yorke Peninsula has reopened its doors in the last week following the completion of some much-needed renovations.
From the Catch Tub, a local favourite in Wallaroo, is back in business after re-designing their front room, installing a new counter, and transforming yesterday’s storage room into today’s food prep station. By refurbishing the original layout – mostly unchanged since the 1980s – the owners have sought to give the space “a fresh look and a fresh stamp”, hoping to expand the business to include more fridges to store their locally caught seafood.
After trading under the name of Wallaroo Foodland Chicken and Seafood for the past twenty years, the store was taken over at the start of 2024 by entrepreneurial co-owners Keryn and Danny, a commercial fisherman. They originally ran their business from the cosy confines of a mobile food van, but expanded to support the local market’s growing demand for their produce.
Dubbed “From the Catch Tub”, the duo pride themselves on supporting local fishermen and selling locally caught seafood, aiming to reduce their carbon footprint and “bring local fish back to the locals”. In a time when vast proportions of the food we eat on a daily basis is imported from overseas, Keryn and Danny set out to bring local fish back to the locals at affordable prices, offering seafood caught in South Australian waters by South Australian fisherman like Danny.
Through this method, they can support other local businesses while reaping the benefits of selling to a customer base that appreciates local produce. There’s an enormous demand in Wallaroo for locally caught fresh and frozen fillets, and a general desire among the community to embrace South Australian food.
“People want to support local. They want the real deal, something that isn’t imported. Even pubs use imported garfish, and this store’s previous owner used imported fish that he claimed was imported.
There’s only one item on our menu that isn’t Australian: our imported butterfish, which is caught in the wild, instead of farmed.”
Taking over the old shop and establishing a new business within its walls proved no easy feat for the duo, who were confronted with a “huge learning curve” in the early stages. With limited business experience and an enormous cleanup job to take care of, Karen and Danny faced a tough few months. Nonetheless, they had a vision in mind for the kind of business they wanted to establish, and their hard work has certainly paid off, with foot traffic exceeding all of their expectations.
“What a first week back. That was incredible. We are worn out.”
“The support shown by our customers was amazing.”
Business must be booming, as Keryn and Danny are now on the lookout for new staff members to join their team. For any Wallaroo locals looking for casual work, shoot them a message or speak to them in store.
As we enter summer and city-dwellers begin planning weekend getaways to the coast, one can only expect that Keryn and Danny will have even more hungry customers to feed. But, with their incredible work ethic and dedication to supplying local produce, I imagine they’ll have no issues satisfying the seafood cravings of all their new customers.
WHAT: From the Catch Tub reopens in Wallaroo after renovations
WHEN: Open Wednesday to Friday 11:30am – 9pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am-8pm. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
WHERE: 4/50 Hughes st, Wallaroo, SA, Australia, South Australia
For more information, click here.
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