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Even with no cases of COVID-19, Christmas in Canberra just won’t be the same. The border restrictions mean there are last-minute cancellations by visiting families so butchers say they’ve had last minute “downsized” Christmas orders. But, on the upside, more Canberrans are are staying home and pushing the boat out on food. Both Unique Meats and Barry Hawke’s Butchery at Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets say customers have called to say they won’t be needing the big joint after all because the family won’t be coming. The grand turkey has turned into ham for two. “We’ve had a few down-size,” Jordan Hicks from Unique Meats said. “We’ve had people ordering for ten – a couple of whole turkeys and a whole ham – and then cancelling,” Taylor Ruhan of Barry Hawke’s Butchery said. But they have been the minority. “People aren’t going away so they are having dinner at home and orders are through the roof. We can’t keep up with demand,” he said. The butchery reckons it’s cooked 1,500 hams. He’s lost count of the number of turkeys. “A lot of people are planning to stay at home and cook,” Ruth Roxburgh of Wiffens, the vegetable and fruit store, said. “Canberrans are normally big travellers.” There was strong demand for the usual seasonal fruits, particularly cherries – but also for flowers. And caviar, according to Nick Smith of Ocean Fresh Seafoods. What’s different about this Christmas? “Everything,” he said. The market for lobsters has been thrown into disarray because of the block on the Australian product by China. Most of the exports to China come from Western Australia so Western Australian lobsters are now heading east – to places like Canberra. There’s already been a hint of the turmoil, with Coles and Woolworths limiting their $20 West Australian Rock Lobsters after after the cut-price deal caused supermarket chaos. Both supermarkets announced their half-price reduction. Woolworths bought in five times more lobster than usual – only for Coles to say they had bought 29 times more “at an all time low price of $20 each which is more than half the price offered at supermarkets last year”. Ocean Fresh Seafoods’ Nick Smith said Western Australian lobsters tended to be smaller (but also cheaper) than the east coast ones. The store had its own supply of east coast lobster from commissioned trawlers. “I would go for the east coast but if you are looking for a cheaper lobster, go for the Western Australian,” he said. He reckoned his store would sell 250 from the east and 500 from the west. READ MORE: And about 2,500 dozen oysters from the Clyde River, Wallace Lakes and Pambula. Plus enough prawns to sink a ship: Queensland tiger prawns, South Australia king prawns, South Australia green king prawns and extra large green king tiger prawns from Skull Island. Mr Smith thought people had gone upmarket this year – there was demand for caviar, for example. His staff were starting at 2.30am on Christmas Eve for the doors to open at 4am. The proof of the pudding will be in the buying.
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Even with no cases of COVID-19, Christmas in Canberra just won’t be the same.
The border restrictions mean there are last-minute cancellations by visiting families so butchers say they’ve had last minute “downsized” Christmas orders.
But, on the upside, more Canberrans are are staying home and pushing the boat out on food.
Both Unique Meats and Barry Hawke’s Butchery at Fyshwick Fresh Food Markets say customers have called to say they won’t be needing the big joint after all because the family won’t be coming.
The grand turkey has turned into ham for two.
“We’ve had a few down-size,” Jordan Hicks from Unique Meats said.
“We’ve had people ordering for ten – a couple of whole turkeys and a whole ham – and then cancelling,” Taylor Ruhan of Barry Hawke’s Butchery said.
We’ve had people ordering for ten – a couple of whole turkeys and a whole ham – and then cancelling.
Taylor Ruhan of Barry Hawke’s Butchery
But they have been the minority. “People aren’t going away so they are having dinner at home and orders are through the roof. We can’t keep up with demand,” he said.
The butchery reckons it’s cooked 1,500 hams. He’s lost count of the number of turkeys.
“A lot of people are planning to stay at home and cook,” Ruth Roxburgh of Wiffens, the vegetable and fruit store, said. “Canberrans are normally big travellers.”
There was strong demand for the usual seasonal fruits, particularly cherries – but also for flowers.
Taylor Ruhen of Barry Hawke’s Butchery with leg of ham and a whole turkey. Picture: Elesa Kurtz
And caviar, according to Nick Smith of Ocean Fresh Seafoods.
What’s different about this Christmas? “Everything,” he said.
The market for lobsters has been thrown into disarray because of the block on the Australian product by China. Most of the exports to China come from Western Australia so Western Australian lobsters are now heading east – to places like Canberra.
There’s already been a hint of the turmoil, with Coles and Woolworths limiting their $20 West Australian Rock Lobsters after after the cut-price deal caused supermarket chaos.
Both supermarkets announced their half-price reduction. Woolworths bought in five times more lobster than usual – only for Coles to say they had bought 29 times more “at an all time low price of $20 each which is more than half the price offered at supermarkets last year”.
Ocean Fresh Seafoods’ Nick Smith said Western Australian lobsters tended to be smaller (but also cheaper) than the east coast ones.
The store had its own supply of east coast lobster from commissioned trawlers.
“I would go for the east coast but if you are looking for a cheaper lobster, go for the Western Australian,” he said.
He reckoned his store would sell 250 from the east and 500 from the west.
And about 2,500 dozen oysters from the Clyde River, Wallace Lakes and Pambula.
Plus enough prawns to sink a ship: Queensland tiger prawns, South Australia king prawns, South Australia green king prawns and extra large green king tiger prawns from Skull Island.
Mr Smith thought people had gone upmarket this year – there was demand for caviar, for example.
His staff were starting at 2.30am on Christmas Eve for the doors to open at 4am.
The proof of the pudding will be in the buying.
