“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Or in the case of Tass Christofi, teach a man to run a ‘fish and chip shop’ and he’ll feed his family and his community.
Alexandria Seafood has operated on the border of Alexandria and Erskineville for 40 years where, as a child, Tass lived above the shop and learnt the tricks of the trade by his dad’s side.
“We moved here in 1986 and we used to live upstairs. Growing up in a shop, there’s always something to do. My father taught me the meaning of hard work, making an honest living, and I’ve been here ever since,” Tass proudly states. “My father instilled a lot of that [work ethic] in me from a young age; he was a very honest operator. The business is built on repeat customers, repeat clientele, so if you don’t look after the product and the business, in that sense, you wouldn’t last 40 years.”
And in those 40 years, the neighbourhood has changed; from an industrial area to newly developed residential apartments. The patrons, however, have remained a constant, drawn by great tasting food and friendly service. “They’re a very colourful bunch from all different backgrounds, but around here it’s got a good community feel about it,” Tass says.
Alexandria Seafood boasts a selection of market fresh seafood: hoki, prawns, calamari, salmon and barramundi. “They’re probably the most popular ones,” Tass says of the latter two. “We do a lot of grilled, a lot of marinated, skewers, and even oven-baked fish. We also do old-school, traditional hamburgers using a recipe from 50 years ago passed down from my parents.”
Hey, if it ain’t broke. . . Meanwhile, the shop itself is undergoing a renovation. “We’re just trying to improve the business, make it a little bit bigger and provide a little more seating. We find on the weekends, people would like to come and dine in and relax; come with some friends and what have you. The shop’s a little bit cramped at the moment, but I think after 40 years the time is right.”
Instagram – alexandriaseafood
02 9519 7309
196 Mitchell Rd,
Alexandria NSW 2015
