The weather is warmer and the crowds will hopefully be bigger as venues start to plan their summer menus. Here’s some insight on fresh produce to help you figure out where you’ll be spending more, and where you’ll be spending less.
Fruit & Veg: Summer 2024
Fruit & Veg: Summer 2024
Venues may have noticed the price of limes increase as the weather heats up, with the culprit being Melbourne Cup. Love it or hate it, it’s a huge day for venues, and the demand for cocktails and mixed drinks means lots and lots of limes.
“Melbourne Cup makes the price of limes go up” says Joe Hamad from Sydney fresh produce supplier, Fruitique. “But the flipside is that there is an abundance of limes straight after the event and prices drop.”
Joe expects a hot summer, and says that if Tasmania gets hit with hotter than normal weather, cherries will be expensive. “In terms of vegetables, broccoli is a bit expensive at the moment, but that’s balanced by incredible asparagus prices - although it’s hard to know when this is going to change.”
Anthony Ponte from Melba Fresh in Victoria agrees with the sentiment about asparagus. “Asparagus is super cheap but zucchini is as well, which is because the South Australia and Victoria supply is happening at the same time.”
“Lebanese cucumbers and continental will be also cheap as we head into summer because crops have been good.”
However, Anthony warns that lemons, kiwis, avocados and tomatoes are going to climb in price. “Lemons are always expensive at Christmas time, especially because they are used in a lot of seafood dishes. We start to rely on imports around this time.”
“In regards to tomatoes,” Anthony says, “there have been low-yielding crops from WA, and there was a virus in SA that affected snacking and gourmet tomatoes.”
Meat: Summer 2024/25
Gavin Kulper from MasterCut Meats says that in the lead up to Christmas, the same thing will happen as it does every year: “coming into Christmas, pork prices will start going up. I’ve seen pork bellies go up overnight, as well as pork USA ribs.”
Venues start to see numbers swell as the weather gets warmer - but their eating patterns change as well. “When you start getting into the hotter weather, fillet steak, beef tenderloin, cube rolls all become more expensive. I’ve seen beef strip loins and t-bones go up phenomenally. Essentially, in winter roasts are expensive and loin cuts are cheaper, but that flips in summer.”
Lamb legs were very expensive in spring, but are proving better value at the moment, says Gavin. “Things like beef blade roast and rump steak are better value for money right now as well.”
Other items that are on the more affordable side are pork leg roasts and mince. “Mince is always good value and helps bring down the price of menu items.”
Another thing to be aware of is abattoirs closing down after Christmas. “Abattoirs close down for cleaning and that can drive up the price of meat because there’s a shortage. It’s something venues should take note of when it comes to their ordering.”
Meat Summary
- Many cuts of pork are going to become very expensive in the lead up to Christmas
- Loin cuts like beef fillet steak, tenderloin, and cube rolls have all become expensive
- Pork belly and pork USA ribs have become particularly expensive
- Lamb leg is much better value than in spring
- Chicken prices are stable
- Abattoirs may close right after Christmas for cleaning, driving prices up
Seafood: Summer 2024/25
Summer in Australia means one thing: seafood. “Coming into Christmas, seafood will be in abundance, and it’s definitely the season for prawns, lobster and oysters,” says Peter Conomos from Foodlink Australia, one of NSW’s largest distributors. “In fact, 80% of our lobsters and cooked prawns get sold in the summer period.”
John Merson from Aquanas Foods echoes the sentiment, although while seafood is abundant, it’s still an expensive item. “Salmon, barramundi and kingfish are farmed staples, but there’s no such thing as cheap fish anymore.”
“Ocean trout is always a firm favourite with restaurant-goers” says John “but Tassel and Huon are out of the ocean trout game, so stock will be limited and prices will go up.” Since the price of salmon is also going up, this is definitely something that needs to be taken into consideration for summer menus.
“Farmed barramundi is probably your best bet. Wild barramundi tends to have a bit of a fishy taste so farmed fresh barramundi is your best bet from a pricing and taste perspective. Fresh barramundi which comes out of Humpty Doo, Infinity Blue barramundi and Mainstream barramundi represent good value for venues, as well as baby barramundi out of Werribee.”
Adrian Jankuloski from Foodlink Australia says if venues are looking for wild fish, snapper season is beginning now and will be plentiful. “It’s worth remembering though, that while there is plenty of fish in November and December, in January, the fisherman take holidays which can drive prices up.”
“There’s a lot of flathead, tuna and Silver Dory around at the moment” says Adrian.
When it comes to oysters, this is the time for Sydney Rock. Foodlink Australia reports that they are in their peak right now, rich and full of flavour, and their main oyster supplier, East 33, says that 30% of the annual yield is sold in the 2 weeks leading up to Christmas.
Luckily for venues, the turn around from harvest to being on plates in venues can be as little as 24 hours.
For venues that serve calamari, John says the difference between frozen squid/calamari and fresh continues to be vast. “Fresh calamari retails for approximately $30/kilo and frozen might retail for $11.50…it’s a big difference.”
As for scallops: “Victorian scallops should start about now, but only for the local market - whereas Hervey Bay scallops are available frozen around the country.”
Seafood Summary
- Ocean trout and salmon prices will continue to rise
- Farmed fresh barramundi is one of the best fish from a value and taste perspective
- Frozen squid and calamari is nearly a third of the price of fresh
- Victorian scallops will be available to the local market, but frozen Hervey Bay scallops are available around the country
- This is the time for Sydney Rock oysters which are at their peak and full of flavour
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