Prosser’s Seafood: Fresh at Queen Victoria Market

For the past 93 years, Prosser’s Seafood has been providing fresh food to patrons at Queen Victoria Market.

Damien Prosser, a third-generation fishmonger and owner, said that the business offers a variety of fresh seafood and fish from across Australia and New Zealand.

The stall, which stocks whole fish, filleted fish, wild-caught aquaculture fish and other types of seafood such as prawns, squid, mussels, and scallops, is also available online.

It prides itself on providing fresh, quality products at good prices, as well as creating a great experience for customers.

“Individual traders work hard,” Prosser said. “You’ll notice a difference in the quality and price.”

The small business, which received the Generational Award in the 2019 City of Melbourne’s Lord Mayor’s Commendations, was started by his grandfather in 1931 and passed to his father and uncle. Mr Prosser began working for the business as a child, and his son Ned now works there part-time.

He is passionate about working at the market, which he described as a “fairly significant” part of Melbourne.

“It’s got plenty of life, plenty of good stuff going on there,” he said, emphasising the multicultural nature of the place and the people who shop there.

So, what’s so important about providing fresh food at the market?

For Mr Prosser, who runs the business with his cousin, Geoff, it’s the many people living in and around the city.

“They love their food, they love fresh food, and they don’t mind paying for stuff if it’s good,” he said. “A lot of our customers are great cooks, and they celebrate food.”

Mr Prosser said the upcoming Good Friday and Easter period was their second busiest time of the year after Christmas.

He recommended customers to turn up early to get a wider variety of seafood to choose from, and to be prepared to make their decisions on the day.

“Come up, have a look. See what looks good. See what’s plentiful on the day,” he said. “Be a little bit flexible, you’ll always get, prawns and oysters and stuff like that, but don’t be scared to try something.”

He reminded customers that not all seafood was expensive.

“We’ve got things that are very reasonably priced and very tasty,” he said.

“There will certainly be something there for everyone.”

Prosser’s Seafood is located at Shop 30 of the Meat and Fish Hall, Queen Victoria Market. •

Caption: Prosser’s Seafood co-owner Damien Prosser. Photo: Hanna Komissarova.