Legendary Fish Markets in Western Australia

13 Aug 2020

There’s nothing like treating your family to a delicious seafood dinner. And, with over 10,000km of pristine coastline and some of the most well-managed fisheries in the world, in WA we are lucky to have easy access to fresh seafood on any given day.

Through longstanding relationships with local fishing families, many of Western Australia’s fish markets have built up reputations for offering both exceptional seafood (quality and value), plus handy cooking tips. With their impressive selection of seasonal varieties, loyal community following, and added specials such as weekend fish fry-ups, these five fish markets are nothing short of legendary.

Albany Boatshed Markets

If you pop into Albany Boatshed Markets on a Sunday morning, you’ll find local fisher Gavin Jackman at his stall ‘Out There Fishin’. The markets have a vibrant community atmosphere, with regulars who go every week plus visitors from across the state. A fourth-generation fisher from the Albany coast, Gavin offers an incredibly wide range of local seafood including calamari, Blue Manna crabs, herring, whiting, garfish, pink snapper and dhufish. Every Friday, Gavin heads out to fish for two days, returning Sunday morning with his catch to sell fresh at the market. With strong support from the local community, Gavin’s stall is widely visited with a notable reputation. There are also a couple of food vendors at the Boatshed Markets that frequently purchase fresh seafood off Gavin, which they will prepare and offer as part of delicious dishes such as chilli crabs or seafood stews. So, if you can’t wait until you get home to taste it, you won’t have to.

Opening hours: Sundays 9am-1pm
Website: https://albanyboatshedmarkets.com/
Boatshed, Princess Royal Drive, Albany

Sealanes – South Fremantle

Going strong since the late 1980s, Sealanes is an institution of South Fremantle. They offer a variety of fresh seafood, with a particularly impressive selection of shellfish including mussels, oysters and rare, locally-sourced Moreton Bay bugs, which they typically get in once a week. For decades, local fishers have supplied them with fresh squid, octopus and an array of seasonal varieties. When purchasing a whole fish, don’t forget to take advantage of their free scaling, gutting, cleaning and filleting services. They’ll also shuck your oysters for you on the spot. If you’re lucky, you might even catch their onsite chef Dai giving a live demonstration of how he prepares their gourmet seafood delicacies, including their popular seafood squirls – a scallop wrapped with salmon, wrapped in squid! Two years ago, they also opened a Fish & Chips shop next door, where you’ll often be offered samples of their freshly cooked fish from the market.

Opening hours: Mon- Sun, 9am-6pm
Website: https://sealanesseafoodmarket.com.au/
17 Marine Terrace, South Fremantle 6162

Kailis Bros – Leederville

Located on Oxford St in Leederville, the Kailis family tradition of selling fresh local seafood to Perth has lived on for over 90 years. It all started back in 1926 when George Palassis Kailis began selling fish on Barrack Street before relocating to Wellington St and later Roe St in Northbridge. Since 2000, Kailis has been an iconic feature of Leederville, sourcing the best overnight catch from local fishers for sale the next day. Their Fish Market has become a popular lunch spot, offering a range of ready to eat meals including seafood chowder and rolled sushi. Whether you are looking to stock up your fridge for the week or grab a bite to eat, Kailis is an all-rounder for lovers of seafood. Their award-winning restaurant located next door offers a menu based around seasonality and showcases the incredible variety of seafood available in WA waters. Customers will also have the unique opportunity of selecting their seafood from the Market to have it cooked next door. If you like, they’ll even throw the fish at you so you can truly say that you ‘caught it yourself’!

Opening hours: Mon-Sun, 8am-6pm
Website: https://www.kailisbrosleederville.com.au/
101 Oxford Street, Leederville 6007

Market City – Canning Vale

Originally established in the early 1980’s at the site now occupied by Watertown before moving to Canning Vale, Market City’s weekend Clearance Market is the largest undercover outdoor market in WA. It’s also one of the busiest in Perth, with people coming from all over Perth to stock up on fresh produce, meat, and, of course, seafood. They regularly count around 4,000 visitors on Sundays and over 700 cars on Saturday, with entry charged at $4 per vehicle.

AJ Langford, is Market City’s seafood outlet and is owned and run by the Kailis family, who provide fresh seafood to the public every Saturday and Sunday morning. On any given weekend, they’ll have 40-50 different species sourced from around 50 local fishers. Expect a truly ‘homegrown’ marketplace with a range of seasonal varieties including scallops, mussels, crayfish and a range of fish. Make sure to come to the market feeling peckish, as they also do a famous ‘Fish Fry’, churning out delicious fish burgers for just $5 a pop.

Opening hours: Sat & Sun 6:00-10:00am
Website: https://www.perthmarket.com.au/wholesale-clearance-market
280 Bannister Road, Canning Vale 6155

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