Turning Seafood Waste Into The Star Of The Plate

We’re passionate about championing the innovators and changemakers that make our industry so dynamic, which is why we’re excited to spotlight Seaweedery: a startup tackling seafood waste, one delicious product at a time.

Seaweedery was launched in 2020 by chef and sustainable food system advocate Elke Travers, and business strategist Natalie Kalinova. The co-founders' passion for Australian seafood and sustainability brought them together, with a shared desire to address issues that exist both in our diet and the broader supply chain.

With the intention to start small, Seaweedery began developing an idea that would transform seafood processing waste into a brand new value-added product. The startup joined forces with Austral Fisheries, an MSC-certified and carbon neutral seafood business, to explore opportunities for transforming seafood waste into viable products. Under Austral Fisheries’ Seafood for Good program, Seaweedery pitched what would eventually become their first product: prawn oil. 

For Seaweedery, their prawn oil is the epitome of their ‘make the most of nature, waste nothing’ ethos. Inspired by the way chefs use every element at their disposal to create delicious flavours, Seaweedery’s prawn oil is made from the byproduct of Austral Fisheries’ wild-caught prawns. The discarded prawn shells are collected and subjected to traditional culinary techniques like heating (rather than chemically treating) in order to maximise flavour and nutritional content. The extract is then blended with neutral oils like vegetable oil or Australian grapeseed oil to keep the prawn flavour profile pure. In conjunction with full, unencumbered flavour, Seaweedery’s prawn oil is packed with antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acid – resulting in a more sustainable product that’s not only good for the environment, but good for us too.

Along with their signature prawn oil, Seaweedery offers an innovative vinegar product developed from a blend of Australian golden kelp and apple cider vinegar. With the seaweed industry still relatively new to our shores, their seaweed vinegar brings a truly unique flavour profile to the plate – sure to excite and delight even the most discerning diners. 

Seaweedery is passionate about shifting both foodservice and individual consumption to a more circular economy, and their Australian-made range of oils proves a great place to start. By adding Seaweedery to your repertoire, you’ll bring exceptional flavour to every dish you create, while contributing to a more sustainable future for our oceans and industry.

To find out more about Seaweedery’s prawn oil and seaweed vinegar, and how to get their range into your kitchen, click here