Consistent weather, ‘early’ Easter behind Good Friday fish price drop

Melbourne’s summer may have been sub par, but it’s one of the reasons why you’ll pay up to $10 per kilogram less on some seafood this Easter.

Ocean Made fishmonger George Lucas says people weren’t afraid to get creative in the kitchen. Picture: Mark Stewart

Consistent temperatures and an early Good Friday have driven down the cost per kilo price on popular catches such as gummy flake and flathead.

Blue grenadier is the most affordable fish, costing as little as $9.99 at some fishmongers, while the price of cooked king prawns has tumbled $10 per kilo since last Easter.

Aptus Seafoods director Angelo Zahos said this year’s prices were a win for struggling families.

“Prices have remained stable this year. Being an early Easter and having stable weather has allowed for good fish catches,” he said.

“I know everyone is struggling, so this has been good news for everyone.”

As the cost of living crisis cripples the budget, fishmongers have found more people are choosing to stay home and cook their own Good Friday and Easter Sunday feasts.

Though not everyone is staying within budget, with some fancy foodies snapping up live oysters and homemade sashimi because “it’s Easter.”

Ocean Made seafood co-owner George Lucas said lesser-known catches had recently made a splash on Melbourne dinner tables.

“Mackerel, small bonito and sashimi-grade tuna are all popular,” he said.

“More people are doing sashimi at home, with kingfish and yellowfin tuna selling well.”

Mr Lucas said more people were also requesting to buy live oysters to shuck at home.

“That’s more common now. They do taste different, especially to those shucked in a restaurant,” he said.

“If we are seeing 10-15 per cent of people doing this now, it was 1 per cent about four to five years ago.”

Mr Lucas said fish such as flathead, salmon and the more affordable gummy shark and blue grenadier were being snapped up ahead of Good Friday.

“There are people that are cautious, and looking for cheaper or more affordable fish options, but then we have others go out there and do it because ‘it’s Easter’,” he said.

Chocolate prices have also remained consistent this Easter.

Melbourne-born brand Koko Black has seen a 20 per cent rise in sales year-on-year; leading the business to make more eggs and bunnies.

Owner Simon Crowe said consumers weren’t shunning chocolate to save cash, and were instead swapping costly dining experiences for more affordable luxuries.

“We’re trending down on fine dining, but in the chocolate space … we’ve found our sweet spot,” he said.

“There’s a greater assessment around value. If it’s high value and priced accordingly, it’ll be popular. But if the price point is out of whack and the value proposition isn’t there, then we enter dangerous territory.”

Lightspeed, a point of sale company that operates in more than 10,000 Australian bars, cafes and restaurants, has found the average Victorian customer spend had increased from $48.25 to $52.15 between March 2023 and 2024. At one stage last year, the highest average spend per month was $57.05.

Managing director Andrew Fraser said as the weather cooled, the average spend would drop.

“The winter months tend to see a drop off in consumers dining out, resulting in lower average bill amounts,” he said.

“Combine this with a cost of living crisis and venues will need to find extra ways to entice customers to eat out.”