Frequently Asked Questions

Tasman Star Seafood has two retail stores on the Gold Coast: • Labrador — 5-7 Olsen Ave, Labrador QLD 4215 (Phone: 07 5529 2500) • Varsity Lakes — 20 Casua Dr, Varsity Lakes QLD 4227 (Phone: 07 5522 1221) Both stores are open 7 days a week, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Yes! We deliver fresh seafood across the Gold Coast on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday. We also deliver to the Northern Rivers region (NSW) on Tuesday and Friday. Orders placed online are packed fresh and delivered in temperature-controlled vehicles.

Our Gold Coast delivery covers from Ormeau and Pimpama in the north to Coolangatta and Tweed Heads in the south, including Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads, Robina, Mudgeeraba, and all suburbs in between. Our Northern Rivers delivery covers Mullumbimby, Byron Bay, Ballina, Lismore, Casino, and surrounding areas.

There is no minimum order for online delivery. Delivery is available Monday, Tuesday, and Friday to Gold Coast and Northern Rivers NSW addresses. For wholesale orders, contact us directly.

We stock a huge range of premium Australian seafood including fresh fish fillets (barramundi, snapper, salmon, flathead and more), prawns (king prawns, banana prawns, tiger prawns), oysters (Sydney Rock, Pacific), crabs, lobster, shellfish, calamari, smoked seafood, and pre-made seafood platters.

We operate our own trawler fleet fishing the waters off the Gold Coast and Northern NSW. We also source directly from the Sydney Fish Market and trusted suppliers across Australia, giving us access to the widest range of fresh Australian seafood.

Yes, Tasman Star Seafood supplies wholesale seafood to restaurants, cafes, fish & chip shops, and independent retailers across the Gold Coast and beyond. You can apply for a wholesale account through our website to access wholesale pricing and place bulk orders.

Visit our Wholesale page and fill out the application form. Our team will review your application and get back to you, usually within 1-2 business days. Once approved, you'll have access to our full wholesale price list and online ordering system.

All deliveries are made in our own temperature-controlled vehicles with insulated packaging and ice packs. We follow strict cold chain protocols — chilled seafood stays at 0–4°C and frozen product stays at –18°C or colder from our cold rooms to your door. Orders are packed within hours of dispatch and routed directly so seafood spends minimal time in transit.

As a general guide: fresh fish fillets 2 days, whole fish 2–3 days, raw (green) prawns 1–2 days, cooked prawns 3 days, live oysters 3–5 days, cooked crabs and bugs 2 days. Keep everything on the coldest shelf (0–2°C) and consume by the use-by date on the pack. If in doubt, the fish should smell like the ocean — not fishy or ammonia-like.

Food-safety rule: if seafood is still very cold to the touch with some ice crystals present, it is safe to refreeze once — though some texture loss is unavoidable. If the product is fully thawed and has been warm, cook it within 24 hours and do not refreeze. For fish fillets and prawns, the best outcome is always to thaw in the fridge overnight and cook the next day.

Order by 2:00 PM the day before your chosen delivery day. For Monday delivery, order by 2 PM Sunday. For Tuesday, order by 2 PM Monday. For Friday, order by 2 PM Thursday. Orders for major events (Christmas, Easter, long weekends) should be placed at least 5–7 days ahead to guarantee your preferred products and cuts.

Fresh prawns should have firm, translucent flesh with a clean ocean smell — never fishy or ammonia-like. The shell should be bright, tight to the body and glossy, not slimy. Heads should be firmly attached (not loose or black). Tasman Star prawns are caught by our own trawler fleet or sourced direct from Australian fisheries, then snap-frozen at sea or iced within hours to lock in peak freshness.

Best method: transfer prawns from freezer to fridge the night before you plan to cook them. Slow thawing preserves texture and prevents water-logging. If you need prawns in a hurry, place the sealed bag in a bowl of cold (not warm) water for 20–30 minutes, changing the water once. Never thaw at room temperature or in the microwave — it causes uneven texture and food-safety risk.

Yes — we prioritise Australian-caught seafood wherever possible. Our prawns are sourced from Australian fisheries in Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Our whole fish and fillets come from our own Gold Coast and NSW trawler fleet plus direct supply from the Sydney Fish Market. Country of origin is clearly labelled on every product. A small number of specialty imports (e.g. Hokkaido scallops) are clearly identified.

Raw prawns (called "green" in Australia) are uncooked and are used for cooking — grilling, stir-fry, curries, tempura. Cooked prawns are ready to eat straight from the pack, chilled, for seafood platters and prawn cocktails. Raw prawns are grey-blue in colour; cooked prawns are pink and white. Tasman Star stocks both, graded by size (U10 through U30), in Tiger, Banana and Eastern King varieties.

For a seafood platter lunch: 300–400g seafood per adult including head-on prawns, oysters, bugs, smoked salmon and dips. For a prawn-only starter: 250g head-on prawns per person. For a whole fish main: 400–500g whole weight (head, tail and bones included) per person. Order 5–7 days ahead for Christmas and Easter to guarantee availability of premium lines like Moreton Bay bugs and rock lobster.

Our driver will call or text you on approach. If no one is home, orders are left in a safe, shaded location with insulated packaging and ice packs to hold temperature for 2–3 hours. For best results, please select a delivery day when someone will be home, or leave a cool spot (porch, shaded side gate) instructions at checkout. Wholesale orders require a signature.

Yes! We offer a range of pre-made seafood platters perfect for parties, corporate events, weddings and special occasions — plus custom platters built to your guest count and budget. Standard platters ship Monday, Tuesday or Friday. For custom platters, contact us 48 hours in advance. Event quantities: allow one shared platter per 4–6 guests as an entrée, or one per 2–3 guests as a main.

Our online store accepts all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) via Stripe. In-store, we accept card payments, cash, and EFTPOS.

Tasman Star Seafood has been proudly serving the Gold Coast for over 30 years. We've grown from a small operation to a complete end-to-end seafood supply chain — our own fishing fleet, two retail stores, wholesale division, and freight services covering the east coast of Australia.

Yes. We deliver to all major Gold Coast suburbs including Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads, Robina, Varsity Lakes, Southport, Labrador, Mudgeeraba, Currumbin, Palm Beach, Miami, Mermaid Beach, Nerang, Ashmore, Bundall, and more. Delivery days are Monday, Tuesday, and Friday.

Yes. We deliver to the Northern Rivers region of NSW including Byron Bay, Ballina, Lennox Head, Lismore, Bangalow, Casino, Maclean, Iluka, Grafton, Evans Head, Alstonville, Mullumbimby, Brunswick Heads, Ocean Shores, and Kyogle on Tuesday and Friday.

Tasman Star Seafood has operated its own commercial trawler fleet for over 30 years. Fish and prawns go from boat to store within 24–48 hours. All deliveries use temperature-controlled vehicles and insulated packaging to maintain cold-chain integrity from our Gold Coast stores to your door.

Yes. Our Labrador store (5-7 Olsen Ave) and Varsity Lakes store (20 Casua Dr) are open 7 days a week, 7am–6pm. No reservation needed — browse our full range of fresh fish, prawns, oysters, crabs, and seafood platters in store.