Behind the scenes at the Coffs Fishermen’s Co-op in the race to Christmas

While roast turkey and all the trimmings is festive fare for many, there are plenty who opt for fruits of the sea. Here’s how much has been snapped up so far.

The amount of seafood flying out the doors in the run to Christmas at the Coffs Harbour Fishermen’s Co-operative is jaw-dropping.

While roast turkey and all the trimmings is festive fare for many, it’s an inherited legacy from the Northern Hemisphere.

Locally, a prawn or 30 on the barbie is more dinky di and in keeping with a steamy summer day on the Mid-North Coast.

And don’t they know it at the Co-op at The Jetty, where the punters will start queuing from 5am on Friday, Christmas Eve.

Co-op executive officer Deanne Hamilton has given a glimpse behind the scenes in the run to the big day.

“This year we have seen a high demand for salmon, smoked trout and the usuals - cooked king prawns, bugs, oysters and lobster,” Ms Hamilton said.

“We have processed over 550 orders for the 23rd and 24th.

She said the co-op had sold more than 100 premium platters, as well as a tonne of prawns, more than 700 dozen oysters and 300kg of bugs.

“Lobsters are very popular this year with well over 150 sold so far,” she said.

Most of the product is sourced from the pristine waters off the Coffs Coast.

“But if we cannot source it here we source from a range of Australian producers,” Ms Hamilton said.

“Our oysters are Sydney Rock and are sourced from Australia Oyster Coast who have multiple oyster farms up and down the coast.”

She said the salmon was fresh from Tasmania and was filleted onsite.

“We have a premium range that will suit everyone from local flathead, whiting, school shark, snapper, prawns, bugs, lobster and there’s plenty to go around,” she said.

If Easter is the fresh seafood industry’s grand final, then Christmas is the State of Origin as it’s literally all hands on deck.

The co-op will open at 5am on Christmas Eve - and there’ll already be a crowd of customers waiting by the door.