Angler owner Amanda Pearce shares why seafood restaurant’s doors set to close

It was named one of the top five spots for fish and chips last year - but now this beloved Adelaide Hills restaurant has closed its doors.

An Adelaide Hills sustainable seafood restaurant named one of SA’s best has announced its final day operating as Stirling continues its “slow death” and utilities rise 10 per cent.

Angler made the announcement in store and on social media it was closing its doors on Sunday.

Owner Amanda Prance said the restaurant was “just not viable in this location”.

“Rent has gone up every year … we’ve probably seen a 10 per cent increase in electricity bills and gas is an issue for us, and we use bottled gas so that is quite expensive in the first place,” Ms Prance said.

Angler Seafood in Stirling will close its door for the last time on July 7. Picture: Supplied

But her main “frustration” and reason for not renewing the lease was the “slow death of Stirling”.

“A lot of businesses, especially in the main streets and communities are really suffering at the moment because there’s just not people coming out,” the 55-year-old said.

“The closure has prompted the locals to get behind us, but if these last two weeks had been standard business, we would be fine.”

Ms Prance said the community was hit hard after the fire in Woolworths, but the loss of the specialty stores alongside it were even worse.

“We lost the butcher, we lost the Stockpot, and losing these great businesses has impacted foot traffic.”

But the damage left in the wake of the fire hasn’t been the only thing to drive away people.

“People stay away from construction,” she said.

Owner Amanda Prance said Stirling’s main street was losing the battle to keep the “vibrancy” alive. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Angler was named in the top 5 best places to get Fish and chips in SA in 2023’s Delicious 100

“There are two big developments proposed, and that's my fear again, because I experienced tow renovation of the shop next door and saw what it did to my own traffic.”

Angler originally opened in 2020 as a collaboration between Ms Prance, nephew and chef Sam Prance Smith and Fair Fish SA built on selling sustainable, fresh-caught local seafood.

In December 2023, they opened a sister location in the Adelaide Central Markets.

Angler was named as one of the top five spots for fish and chips in SA in delicious. 100’s best-of list for 2023.

Ms Prance said that the “fabric” of Stirling was changing as retail and hospitality venues turned over and service providers moved in.

“Vibrancy is driven from hospitality and retail, and if those shops are turning into service businesses then … the people who work in that business take up the carparks for eight hours.”

Signs and a letter to customers on the windows detail Ms Prance’s sadness to close the location. Picture: Supplied

“Therefore locals can’t even get parks now.”

But Ms Prance wasn’t blaming the rise in costs, nor the lack of parking and Woolworth fire.

She said without locals “getting out” to spending money, shops would keep dying.

“If we don’t have customer traffic, we don’t open for any other reason than to give hospitality,” she said.

“We’ve had some customers here who are absolute advocates, absolute guns, absolute die-hard weekly customers that I am so grateful for … you know today we are seeing them for the last time.”

Fans of the Angler’s products can still find their dry-aged seafood at their collaboration stall Fair Seafood at the Adelaide Central Markets.

Originally published as Angler owner Amanda Pearce shares why seafood restaurant’s doors set to close