Seafood lovers and boating enthusiasts will head to Fremantle this March for the new Fremantle Boat and Seafood Festival which will be held at Fishing Boat Harbour and Esplanade Park on 10-12 March.
This event celebrates Western Australian seafood with a variety of food stalls selling their produce, as well as two stage areas offering demonstrations and tastings. The event is also a boat show and has big name brands bringing their new model boats to display. A fishing zone and fishing stage rounds off the event, making it diverse in what it offers to visitors of all ages.
Show Director Peter Woods said the Fremantle Boat and Seafood Festival was a unique and exciting event because it combined a “food” show that focuses on seafood, with a “boat and fishing show”.
“Everybody knows that West Australian seafood is the best in the world and we are so lucky to have an abundance of fresh seafood right on our doorstep,” Peter said.
“We are working with some of Fremantle’s best chefs and food operators to bring a selection of seafood to our visitors.”
“Fremantle Boat Harbour is the ideal location to showcase boats on water and we are building new walkways for visitors to utilise to see all the boats on water. On Esplanade Park we will have displays of trailer boats and accessories, plus fishing gear and lifestyle products.”
“We are grateful to the support of our sponsors in putting on this event, which include the City of Fremantle, WA Fishing Industry Council, Department of Primary Industry and Resources, Western Rock Lobster, Aquarius Lawyers, Little Creatures Brewing, Harvest Road, Fremantle Research and Development Commission and the Boating Industry Association of WA,” Peter said.
The 2023 Fremantle Boat and Seafood Festival has a range of attractions for people of all ages, and tickets and information is available at freoboatseafoodfestival.com.au
Seafood Conversations Stage
It’s no secret that West Australians love seafood. At this year’s Fremantle Boat and Seafood Festival, we are celebrating WA fresh seafood with continuous live cooking demonstrations and tastings at the Seafood Conversations Stage.
The Seafood Conversations Stage will be one of the main attractions at the Festival. The Stage is activity is headed up by WA Food Ambassador Don Hancey. After a long and successful career running three of WA’s finest regional kitchens, Don has become WA’s Food Ambassador through his continual support and dedication to WA food producers.
As the WA Food Ambassador Don consults to some of Western Australia’s iconic food companies to assist them with marketing, product development and placement; and generally being the link between WA food producers, chefs, and the general public.
The best way to describe Don is passionate! Don was awarded Western Australia’s Good Food Guide Governors’ Award for Charity and Philanthropy in 2013 by the then Governor Malcolm McCusker. Today he is involved in major food festivals and events across Perth in WA’s regional areas where he shares his skills, knowledge and passion.
Don has hand-picked some of the best Freo chefs to cook their favourite dishes on the Seafood Conversations Stage. Come along and watch the cooking demonstrations, hear from the experts, get some cooking tips, learn about WA’s sustainable fishing practises, and of course enjoy a taste of what these amazing chefs create! The Seafood Conversations Stage will run from 10.30am – 3pm each day.
BBQ Skills with Bart Beek
Learn how to cook perfect seafood on the BBQ! Celebrity chef Bart Beek from Melbourne’s essencebbqLAB (formerly Heston Blumenthal’s Executive Chef) is heading to the 2023 Fremantle Boat and Seafood Festival to share his seafood barbecuing skills!
Bart is an exciting and incredibly inventive chef who has been behind the stoves of some of the worlds famous kitchens for 48 years. He works tirelessly to champion seasonal, locally sourced produce and focuses on creating pure deliciousness by using cutting-edge culinary methods and techniques.
Bart Beek will head up the new BBQ Cooking School where you can get an up-close and personal seafood cooking experience. Get all the tips and learn the skills from Bart as he cooks a range of seafood over glowing coals, flame, and smoke.
Bart will demonstrate from the stage, a variety of ways to prepare and grill WA octopus, sardines, prawns, barramundi and lobster. Bring up any questions you may have during each session and use his knowledge to create deliciousness at home. Bart’s demonstrations will be at on the hour from 11am – 3pm daily.
Seafood Alley
Take a walk through the Seafood Alley at this year’s Fremantle Boat and Seafood Festival and be tantalised by all the offerings of freshly cooked seafood for you to enjoy!
We are working with some of Fremantle’s best chefs and restaurants to put together a selection of seafood options to choose for lunch or a snack while you are at the Festival. This is a seafood experience like no other, and with so many choices you may want to come back to the Festival each day to sample them all!
If you love crayfish, you can’t go past the Western Rock Lobster stand where you have your choice of ½ grilled crayfish straight off the BBQ served with salad, a half cray served cold with salad, or a craft and avocado roll. If prawns are more your passion, you’ll be delighted with a Shark Bay Wild Prawns skewer, or go for a bucket of prawns with cocktail sauce.
If you’re looking for something light for lunch, try a Cone Bay Barramundi burger, or a crumbed Fremantle Sardine burger. And for something extra special, Clancy’s Fish Pub are setting up in the Seafood Alley to offer prawn rolls with caper and dill remoulade and chives in a brioche bun; as well as their own special fish tacos – southwest threadfin salmon grilled, pickled shallot, coriander, slaw, chipotle mayo in a corn tortilla.
Fremantle favourite Miss Chows will be at the Festival offering some of their favourites! You can choose from crispy jade dumplings with tiger prawns, chives spicy vinaigrette, and bonito; Western Rock Lobster dumplings with truffle and togarashi, prawn toast with sriracha, saffron aioli and, Kinnilaw snapper ceviche with lime and chilli, Scallop spring rolls with tom yum dressing, and for something different – Malay grilled coconut spiced Ayam percik skewers.
The Seafood Alley is one of the big attractions of this year’s Fremantle Boat and Seafood Festival and has been designed to make it easy for visitors to try something new and fresh, and to enjoy West Australian seafood at its best!
Back of Boat Sales
Western Rock Lobster are a major sponsor of the Festival and will be offering Back of Boat sales at the Festival.
A Western Rock Lobster initiative to reconnect with the local community, Back of Boat brought back a tradition which had not been possible for over a decade. Reintroduced during the springtime of 2020, the return of back of boat sales saw lobster fishers expressing their joy at being able to meet their customers directly and supply them with delicious lobster straight from the sea.
During the Fremantle Boat and Seafood Festival, visitors will be able to experience Back of Boat sales and see what it is all about as local western rock lobster fishers will be landing live lobster for the public to purchase. Follow to signs to the Back of Boat activation behind Little Creatures.
Official Beer Partner
Little Creatures have been pouring their well-loved beers for over 22 years in Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour. And this year they will be part of the Fremantle Boat and Seafood Festival as official beer partner of the Festival.
Tania Lambson, National Craft Beer Ambassador for Little Creatures Brewing, said Little Creatures was born from a love of great beer shared by a few good mates. “At Little Creatures, you can drink straight from the source and watch the brewing magic happen,” Tania said.
“From humble beginnings on the water’s edge within the free-spirited open-minded community of Fremantle right across to our second home and brewery in Geelong, Little Creatures continues to bring people together.”
“Just like our flavourful beers, the Little Creatures team know that life gets more interesting when we come together – no matter your quirks, dints, eccentricities or that little piece of magic that makes you, you!”
Tania and the team are excited to bring to the Festival everything that makes Little Creatures special! As official beer partner, Little Creatures beers will be available at the Festival to enjoy and will be paired with different dishes that the chefs create on the Seafood Conversations Stage to demonstrate how you can recreate the seafood and beer magic yourself at home. As they say: All Creatures Welcome!
Engel Aquatank Fishing Stage
Fremantle is recognised as the best places in the world for fishing! Most West Aussies anglers know there’s so much to catch off Fremantle and around Rottnest, either from the beach or off a boat, and it’s easy to catch something that makes a good meal.
The 2023 Fremantle Boat and Seafood Festival features a fishing zone with displays from Tackle Stores such as Angler’s Fishing World and 2 Oceans Tackle, as well as a stage area with the Aquatank Fishing Show.
Special guest fishing presenters will be on stage throughout the day discussing a range of topics, plus demonstrating lures and fishing techniques in the Aquatank; plus there will be informative talks on travel and tourism, the latest fishing information from DPIRD and general Q&A with Show’s fishing presenters.
Boats, fishing gear and more!
If you love life on the water, you’ll want to be at this year’s Fremantle Boat and Seafood Festival to get all the gear! The Festival will feature big boat and sailing boat displays on water with a new walkway being built within Fishing Boat Harbour. The Show will also incorporate hardstand displays on Esplanade Park for trailer boats, fishing gear, boating accessories and government displays.
Show visitors can view the latest new boats from big brands such as Sirocco Marine Perth, Oceanique Marine Mira Marine, Pleasure Marine, Whittley Western Australia, R Marine (Riviera), Jet Torque Marine, Multihull, Seadfoo, Lux Custom Boats, Pirelli, Northstar, Zodiac, Merry Fisher, Fairline Targa, Regulartor, Seakeeper, Haines Signature, Ital Boats, Stacer, Carribean, Beneteau, Stabicraft, plus more to be announced.
Festival Facts
2023 DATES & TIMES
Friday 10th March: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Saturday 11th March: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Sunday 12th March: 9.00am – 5.00pm
LOCATION: Fremantle Esplanade and Fishing Boat Harbour, Mews Road, FREMANTLE WA
TICKET PRICES
Adult (16 years and over) $20.00
Concession $16.00
Family (2 adults, up to 4 children) $50.00
Child (Aged 5-15 years) $10.00
For more information visit www.freoboatseafoodfestival.com.au
