THE second Love Seafood festival was in celebration mode on Friday night as locals and visitors alike enjoyed superb First Creek Estate wines and Murray’s Ales alongside a menu fit for royalty.

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Kingfish from the Huon Aquaculture and Department of Primary Industries fish farm headed the menu along with other produce offerings.

Local oysterman Mark Hunter shucked fresh Port Stephens Sydney Rock Oysters for guests, paired with a First Creek Estate Semillon.

Chef Ludovic Poyer, who was born in Normandy France, trained in Paris and operates The Poyers in Lemon Tree Passage, presented an entree of King George whiting and cuttlefish.

Ben Way of Little Beach Boathouse trained as a chef in the United Kingdom and is an owner at Little Beach Boathouse.

Ben plated a main to celebrate all things Port Stephens with olive dusted local snapper fillet, alongside seared local yellowfin tuna and local farmed yellowtail kingfish.

The evening was finished off with a dessert by chef Mat Key who has worked in Port Stephens for over 20 years; his dessert course of frozen yoghurt and raspberry parfait was trimmed with fresh raspberries and Medowie Macadamias.

Member for Paterson Meryl Swanson told News Of The Area, “This is a fantastic initiative, highlighting the wonderful chefs and produce of our region.”

“I attended the official opening of the International Airport at Newcastle today and would love to see Port Stephens fresh seafood, particularly our oysters, and other produce being freighted direct from Newcastle to the world,” she said.

The evening was a huge success and plans are underway to deliver a similar experience celebrating Port Stephens fresh seafood in 2018.

By Marian SAMPSON