By Ashleigh Howarth
Bring your appetite, loosen the belt and leave the diet at home because Straddie is preparing to dish up a seafood spread of epic proportions on November 21.
The annual Straddie Oyster and Seafood Festival will once again take over the Straddie Sharks from 10am-6pm, with organisers expecting another bumper crowd after about 1300 hungry foodies flocked to last year’s event.
North Stradbroke Island Rugby League and Allsports Club Inc manager Angela Brown said the festival had long been one of the tastiest, most satisfying and belly-filling events on the Redlands calendar.
“Straddie Sharks have had the festival for the past 18 years. The Oyster Association approached the club and asked if we were interested in holding this great event for them and the committee agreed unanimously,” she said.
And there will be no shortage of fresh fare, with about one tonne of oysters and 250kgs of prawns expected to be devoured throughout the day.
Seafood lovers can tuck into oysters Kilpatrick, local oysters from oyster association farmers, fresh prawns and crabs from the trawlers, as well as seafood from Perry’s Seafood and Starkey Seafood.
But there’s more to the festival than just filling your plate.
The famous mud crab races will return, alongside the prawn peeling and eating competition and the oyster shucking competition, giving competitive eaters or those who have eyes larger than their stomachs the chance to put their seafood skills to the test and claim those all-important bragging rights.
And once the seafood cravings have been satisfied, there will still be plenty to keep festival-goers entertained, with Angela promising a full day of family fun.
“There’ll be live music, delicious fresh seafood, market stallholders and face painting for the kids,” Angela said.
Entry to the festival is free, and getting there is even easier, with Bay Island Boat offering a special $35 return fare. Call ahead to secure your seat.
This story was written for The Community Leader Redlands.