ANDREW AND DARREN
BRAY,
are
the operators and marketing managers of
“Barramundi Australia” on the Gold Coast.
MORE THAN ONE WAY TO FILLET A
FISH!!
Since setting up the family run RAS business in 2001, both brothers have made it their mission to strive to obtain the full potential and price out of their barramundi. Not wanting to settle on just barramundi fillets and whole baby barra, Andrew and Darren have spent a lot of time and money in researching the way consumers of seafood want to buy their fish.
In 2003 a student approached them from Bond University doing his thesis on consumers and food, wanting to know if there was any information we could use regarding farmed barramundi.
Not wanting to limit the study to just farmed fish, the brothers helped set up the study to include things like, who from the family was more likely to buy the seafood, how they would prefer to buy the seafood, packaging, taste preferences etc.
With the thesis finished, Andrew and Darren used this information to come up with a product range of “Wild Spiced” barramundi. The aim of the “Smart Meals” was to attract those buyers that would normally pass over the fish and buy rump steak or lamb cutlets instead. The most important issue that needed to be addressed, were convenience and the no-mess preparation of the family meal.
A further study into consumer habits, spending and health suggested that the family were on the right track with the product, so they proceeded to develop a whole range of barramundi consumables that fell under the “Smart Meal” concept. Colorful and uniquely designed boxes, long shelf life packaging and well portioned size meals were to be the objectives of the families 12 months development into the value added section of the business.
Not wanting to waste a gram off the fish they were farming, Andrew and Darren’s marketing skills drove them to further look “outside the square”. After a lot of lateral thinking the pair came up with a number of very uniquely different products that just need to be seen to be believed.
Barramundi
Australia markets to the world
The
Bray family has two businesses now interlinked with a packaged product
they call “Wild Spiced Barramundi”. The two businesses located at
Stapylton, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, are Hinterland Herbs and
Barramundi Australia—the former being the 10-year success of
the parents, Graham and Shirley Bray, and the latter the four-year
success of their two sons, Andrew and Darren Bray. The two brothers will
speak on fish marketing at the AAQ conference in August.Andrew is a member
of the management committee of the Aquaculture Association of Queensland,
and is his family company’s operations manager. The reason why Andrew
and Darren will be of great interest to fellow members of the AAQ is that
they now have three solid markets outside the “orphan markets” of
agents and auctions. They are:
Below, some of the Barramundi Products marketed by Barramundi Australia.
The
local restaurant market within
10 to 20 or so kilometres of their 15-tonne a year, recirculating
aquaculture system that has barramundi as its principal fish species.
Fresh whole fish and fillets are delivered upon call.
The
export market for
barramundi supplied to user specification. This now includes Asia and
North America,.
The
packaged product market—in
which spiced and sliced barramundi has a long shelf-life attractive to
gourmet-product retailers and food service buyers.
Right, some of the value added products made of barramundi leather.
Andrew
ruefully reports: “As with most aquaculture farmers, we probably killed
more fish in the first year than we sold. But with demand growing for our
fish, we pushed ahead, determined to make this business, as with our herb
business, a success.
“Currently
we are approaching our maximum output of 15 tonnes a year, and have plans
to expand further soon with the acquisition of capital from a private
investor.
“Most
of our product is sold live at around 600 grams, with a small portion
going to restaurants in Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Being seafood
wholesalers, we also have a good customer base selling fish, live mud
crab, live redclaw, locally farmed prawns, ocean caught prawns, sandcrabs
and other seasonal seafood direct to the public,” Andrew said.
“We
have recently started exporting to Canada, with our orders growing
steadily. As well as this we are just about to launch a fresh barramundi
“ready meal” into the supermarkets, the food service sectors and the
export market.”
Andrew said he was excited and keen about his role as the AAQ’s barramundi officer. He does not pretend to know everything about the “barra”, but he admits to living an breathing aquaculture.
Right, one of the value added products, the "Tinny Weenie Barra Kinni"
