A plate of Austral Fisheries’ Glacier 51 toothfish. Image courtesy of Catalina restaurant.

A-UK FTA creates new supply partnerships

The UK is an important export market for Austral.

Since the A-UK FTA entered into force, Austral has secured supply partnerships in the foodservice and retail sectors across the UK.

‘The removal of tariffs on our Glacier 51 toothfish and banana prawns has opened up a new market segment for us in the UK,’ says Skinns. ‘We are now competitive in the UK’s retail sector and have secured partnerships with Selfridges and Whole Foods UK.’

The renowned Daisy Green group of restaurants has introduced Australian banana prawns to its menu across 16 venues, highlighting the quality and appeal of Austral’s products.

Austral is also negotiating supply partnerships with prestigious establishments such as the Ivy Asia Group and Nobu London. This will further expand its reach in the UK’s high-end market segment.

Austrade’s Trade and Investment Commissioner for the UK and Ireland, Anastasia Nishnianidze, says the A-UK FTA delivered a big boost to Australian seafood exports. ‘What we’ve seen is a lot more interest in sourcing from Australia; it’s become much more competitive in terms of price,’ she says.

‘One year ago, it would be nearly impossible to buy Australian seafood products in the UK. With more major retailers like Marks & Spencer (M&S) and online grocer Ocado expressing interest in Australian seafood lines, these products could soon be a lot more accessible and readily available for UK consumers.’

Ocean-to-plate traceability

Consumers across the world increasingly seek seafood with reliable provenance and are willing to pay a premium for it.

Austral has worked with OpenSC since 2019 to make its seafood fully traceable. OpenSC is a joint venture between WWF (Australia) and consultants, BCG Digital Ventures. The result is a blockchain-powered app that allows purchasers of toothfish and prawns to see where their seafood originates.

‘Our consumers are hungry for information,’ says Skinns. ‘They want the ocean-to-plate story. Now they can scan a QR code and get the latitude and longitude of where the seafood was caught. They can also see where it was processed.’

Skinns says the ability to tell an ocean-to-plate story helps boost exports. He also says the QR app helps preserve its brands – including the Glacier 51 brand he created for Patagonian toothfish.

How Austrade helped

Austrade’s UK team has supported Austral Fisheries since 2021. ‘Their introductions to new strategic retail and wholesale partners in the UK have been instrumental to our success, particularly this past year,’ says Skinns. ‘Austrade achieved in a few months, what would take us years to develop.

‘We also benefit from participation in Austrade-organised trade shows. In March 2024, we joined the International Food & Drink Event in London. Austrade’s tailored business program gave us the opportunity to get in front of key seafood wholesalers and potential new retail partners.’