Seafood on the menu for Christmas feasts
PRAWNS by the box and oysters are in high demand as a Northern Beaches seafood business marks its busiest preChristmas trade in years.
But while sales are high at Preston Fresh Seafood, so too are stress levels.
“It is busy and stressful, but it is also very rewarding because many people are happy when they come in,” said owner Max Pantacchini.
It is the most demanding time of the year for the region’s seafood traders, many of whom are frantically trying to satisfy sky-high customer demands.
But Mr Pantacchini, a veteran of the industry, said the build-up to Christmas was enjoyable.
He said customers were stocking up on festive season seafood earlier in 2017.
“Last year we had many people were coming in at the last minute, but this year they seem to be organising themselves a bit earlier,” he said.
It has been a big 12 months for the longstanding Smithfield business, which Mr Pantacchini runs with his wife Francoise.
Buoyed by a positive outlook for the city, they invested about $150,000 on a new-look retail premises, the final touches of which have recently been completed.
“The new set-up looks unreal, and we’ve had some great comments from people,” he said.
Mr Pantacchini said prawns, oysters and lobster were proving particularly popular with customers over the past week in the lead-up to Christmas.