Fish shop favourite on move
EAST Coast Tasmania institution The Gulch, feted by Lonely Planet as the purveyor of “brilliant fish and chips”, on Tuesday fried its last fisherman’s basket.
However, all is not lost, with the Tasmanian Coastal Seafoods brand being sold to former employee Dave Ryan, the “salty sea dog” responsible for sourcing The Gulch’s fresh seafood, who will relocate to new premises in Bicheno.
Mr Ryan said the new fish and chip shop, which will be located in the former butchery at 57 Esplanade, will still dish up the same quality fare locals and day-trippers have come to love, “if not better”.
The former scale fisherman of 30 years said he was installing signs and completing the fit-out, with the kitchen set to churn out meals in about a fortnight.
There would be some indoor, cafe-style seating, but it will predominantly focus on takeaway food, Mr Ryan said.
The iconic Gulch shack on Esplanade, as well as the Tasmanian Coastal Seafoods brand, was bought by neighbouring start-up distillery Waubs Harbour Whisky in November.
Co-founder Tim Polmear said he subsequently on-sold the business to Mr Ryan for $1 as a sign of goodwill to the community, in appreciation of Bicheno’s deep connection with the brand.
Mr Polmear, who described Mr Ryan as a “genuine salty sea dog who sources great product”, said the front part of the Gulch shack would become Waubs Harbour’s new cellar door, while the back portion would be devoted to cask storage.
“It extends our footprint, the building doubles our (storage) capacity ... and secures our future for the next eight years or so,” he said.
“There’s also an amazing opportunity in front of it to create a premium cellar door, that’s the final piece of the puzzle for this distillery.” He revealed hospitality guru Tom Etges, formerly of award-winning Launceston restaurant Cataract on Paterson, who has been managing Tasmanian Coast Seafoods since its purchase in November, would stay on as “head of hospitality” at the cellar door, which will eventually offer top-quality local produce like cheese boards and oysters in addition to its whisky.
Mr Polmear said the distillery planned to unveil the cellar door before the next summer tourist season.
He said he believed Waubs Harbour Whisky would become an East Coast tourism destination in its own right once the cellar door was up and running.
“This is a brand that’s going to do a lot for Bicheno and East Coast tourism, we are high quality in terms of our product, marketing and story, it’s a strong asset for the community... in terms of promoting it as a high-class premium place,” he said.