Business
25 May, 2024
Salt House ‘the best’
ONE of the most popular restaurants in Cairns – Salt House – has proved once again that the best seafood comes from the Far North after taking home the restaurant award at the Queensland Seafood Industry Awards.
After taking home the title of best seafood restaurant in Queensland, Salt House will now go on to compete in the national awards in Hobart this September against the best seafood industry representatives and restaurants.
Salt House was one of the only Far North Queensland winners alongside local tuna company Little Tuna, co-owned by Kate and Rowan Lamason, who took the small business award which was celebrated for its “remarkable growth, dedication to quality and sustainability, and innovative marketing strategies”.
“We feel really privileged to have won the award, it’s a great recognition because we think that supporting local Queensland seafood is very important,” said Salt House executive chef Daniel Crossman. “Particularly in the restaurant industry things are getting harder and prices are going higher, so we feel that this is a recognition to all the hard work that we put into supporting the seafood industry,” he said.
“It’s about letting people know that you can be local and be successful.”
Mr Crossman highlighted how Salt House’s menu and commitment to Queensland produce, freshness and sustainability had set them apart from the competition.
“We have the ability to buy the seafood we want, from our yellowfin tuna to our local reef fish, to our prawns that come from the east coast and although it’s not all local, it’s all from Queensland,” he said.
“We’ve got this beautiful ocean right in front of us and our diners come in and they wonder, ‘Where does this snapper that I’m eating for lunch come from?’. Well, two days ago it was swimming out there, that’s something that not everyone has.
“Our pan-fried reef dish with an eggplant caponata and a tomato butter sauce is one of our best. We sell like 35-50 portions of this every night, it’s simple but showcases how good our reef fish is.”
Queensland Seafood Marketers Association secretary Neil Moretto said events like the awards were essential to highlight the importance of the state’s seafood and hospitality industry. “The Queensland Seafood Industry Awards are held every two years and they showcase the excellence in our seafood industry and we have all sectors involved, from pre to post harvest,” he said.
