Anthony Osborne from Sapphire Coast Tourism was thrilled when a small gesture of goodwill resulted in sales gold for Eden Mussels.
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In late December, representatives from Sapphire Coast Tourism boarded the Oceania Regatta to welcome the captain and crew to the Port of Eden. They were accompanied by local MP Andrew Constance and Roads Maritime and Freight Minister Melinda Pavey.
After touring the ship, the captain and welcoming party chatted about seafood. There are restrictions around serving oysters on board the ship, but the same restrictions did not apply to serving mussels, Mr Osborne said.
This conversation led to an offer of complimentary mussels and a visit to the Eden Mussels’ vessel, the Sinbad. The cruise ship’s head of food and beverages and the head chef boarded the Sinbad to observe how staff processed the mussels. They also joined Mr Constance on the wharf to sample the produce.
“They tried a raw mussel and then bought a few kilos to take back to the ship,” Eden Mussels production manager Kellie Squires said.
The mussels were purchased to cook a captain’s dinner and reportedly left a big impression on those who dined at the captain’s table.
“They said that they were absolutely delicious and put an order in for the 22nd of January when the cruise ship returns,” Ms Squires said.
Business is good for Eden Mussels, which recently installed more lines in a second farm at Boydtown. With more orders coming in, it will need to expand production, Ms Squires explained.
Eden Mussels harvests and processes blue mussels, which take 14 months to grow to restaurant size. Eden distributes its produce to wholesalers in Sydney and Melbourne, but also local restaurants and wholesalers.
Last year’s cruise ship season was a great year for other Eden businesses as well with many recording bumper sales.
READ MORE: Eden enjoys bumper season
The Oceania Regatta is a high-end, luxury cruise ship. Local produce is something special for their guests who can dine on products they can see at the port and from the ship, Mr Osborne said.
The Port of Eden does not currently supply produce to visiting cruise ships. A partnership between Eden Mussels and the Oceania Regatta would be the first of its kind.
Any potential partnerships between cruise ships and local producers would be fantastic for local business and for helping to raise the profile of Eden as a destination, Mr Osborne said.