How to Build a Seafood Platter for 2, 4, 6, 10 or 20 People

TL;DR: As a main, buy 350 to 400 g of mixed seafood per adult. As a starter, 150 to 200 g. The mix that always works on the Gold Coast is cooked king prawns, oysters, and split Moreton Bay bugs on ice.

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A seafood platter fails in two ways: not enough food, or a tray of random pieces with no centre. The fix is a quantity table and three anchors. Prawns, oysters, one hero shellfish. Everything else is garnish.

This Father's Day, Sunday 6 September 2026, a platter that hits $200 does extra work. Spend $200 or more, online or in store at Labrador and Varsity Lakes, and you get a free Tasman Star cap or singlet while stocks last.

Quantity table by headcount

Weights are shell-on for prawns and bugs. Oysters are counted, not weighed.

People	Role	Cooked king prawns	Oysters	Cooked bugs	Smoked salmon	Rough spend
2	Main	500 g	1 dozen	1	100 g	$80 to $120
4	Main	1 kg	2 dozen	2	200 g	about $200
6	Main	1.5 kg	3 dozen	3	200 g	$280 to $350
10	Main	2.5 kg	5 dozen	5	400 g	$450 to $550
20	Main	5 kg	10 dozen	10	800 g	$900 to $1,100

Halve every column if the platter is a starter before a roast or a barbecue of other food.

Browse cooked prawns, oysters and bugs and we will portion it to the table size.

The three anchors

Prawns do the filling. Large cooked king prawns look generous, peel at the table, and do not need a stove. Leave them shell on. The shell keeps them moist on ice and they look like a proper platter, not a salad.

Oysters are the pause. Pacific plate oysters or Sydney Rocks, on the half shell. Six each as part of a mix. A dozen each only if oysters are the event.

Bugs are the hero. Split cooked Moreton Bay bugs down the middle and lay them cut side up in the centre. One bug per two people is enough because the meat is rich. Lobster tails or king crab clusters can take this spot if you are pushing the boat out.

Assembly, 15 minutes

1. Line a large tray or board with crushed ice, or freeze the tray for an hour.
2. Prawns around the outside in a ring.
3. Oysters in a cluster, not scattered, so they stay upright.
4. Split bugs or lobster in the middle.
5. Smoked salmon folded, not laid flat, so it does not look like supermarket slices.
6. Lemon wedges, a bowl of seafood sauce, a stack of napkins, crusty bread.

Do not add lettuce as decoration. Ice, seafood, lemon. That is the look.

Ready made option: the Tasman Ocean Platter if you would rather pick up than assemble.

Cold vs mixed, for Father's Day

Dad does not have to cook. A cold platter is a complete lunch. If someone wants fire, add jumbo raw tiger prawns on skewers and keep the rest of the tray cold.

Spend $200 or more this Father's Day, online or in store, and the free cap or singlet comes with it while stocks last. $400 unlocks two. See the Father's Day packs for BBQ, cold and sashimi versions already portioned for 4 or for 6 to 8.

Timing and food safety

• Cooked prawns and cooked bugs sit on ice for 2 hours, then they go back in the fridge.
• Oysters stay cupped, so the liquor does not spill.
• Sashimi is sliced last, within 30 minutes of serving, and does not sit in the sun.
• Leftovers: airtight container, bottom shelf, eat within 24 hours. Do not leave the tray out after the ice has gone.

For fridge life after the party, see how long cooked prawns last and how much seafood per person.