FOR THE ROCkLIFF family, fishing isn’t just a job; it’s a way of life that’s been handed down since 1949, when Neville Rockliff’s parents founded their first seafood business.
Today, that legacy continues with Neville and Helen’s four children all involved in the business, each bringing their own strengths to the family enterprise while keeping their connection to the ocean alive.
“I love seeing the next generation coming through and even seeing the grandkids taking interest. It runs in our blood. We live and breathe the sea,” Neville says.
Their daughter Vanessa has grown up surrounded by this devotion to the ocean, with two of her three brothers being fishermen and one in seafood sales and marketing. “If my brothers are in the port for too long, you can see them starting to get the itchy feet to get back out again,” she says.
One of the stars of their operation is the spanner crab – a species that has gone from being widely unknown to sought after by top chefs around the world. Helen says, “When Neville got that first taste of spanner crab, he thought it was better than Tasmanian crayfish because it had a sweeter texture, was much more delicate and is very versatile.
“Previously, most of the product would be sent over to places like China and Hong Kong, so the locals didn’t know much about it. It’s a very sustainable fishery that’s being caught right here on the coast of Queensland.”
Helen says the growth of their retail shop has also helped the family diversify into other quality local wild-caught seafood. “We now offer Mooloolaba’s famous ocean king prawns, Moreton Bay bugs, mud crabs, reef fish and more. One of our most popular products is the sashimi trio trays of salmon, tuna and kingfish – it’s a favourite to take down to the beach and enjoy the coast’s amazing scenery and sunshine.”
Rockliff Seafoods now supplies local favourites such as Alex Surf Club, Mooloolaba Surf Club and Pier 33. “Pier 33 uses all our seafood, which is amazing because you can literally be sitting at Pier 33 and see the boats going past that have caught the seafood you’re eating,” Vanessa says.
The family’s own spanner crab recipes are simple but delicious.
“You can do so many things with it, everything from putting it in pastas, lasagnas, a bisque, or my mum’s even done it in sandwiches,” Vanessa tells salt. “We do a garlic butter spanner crab or a very simple spaghetti of angel hair pasta with just the spanner crab, olive oil, and a bit of chilli and parsley.”
Vanessa says everyone should support the local fishing industry.
“When people drive down the Mooloolaba Spit, they might see some old buildings that need fixing up. But we’ve got exporters, wholesalers, fish and chip shops and all these amazing businesses and I think that sometimes the community doesn’t realise what a wonderful port we have here.”
Garlic & Butter Spanner Crab Recipe
(Serves 4)
INGREDIENTS
200g Rockliff raw spanner crab meat
1 small clove garlic
2 stalks of garlic shoots
50g butter
50ml olive oil
15ml soy sauce
15ml mirin
Italian parsley
METHOD
- Heat olive oil on high, add butter and melt.
- Add sliced garlic shoots, crab meat and season with soy and mirin.
- Cook the crab meat quickly. As soon as the meat turns from a translucent texture to white, take it straight off the heat. Garnish with roughly chopped parsley
Serve with crusty bread.