Australian Razorfish wins One to Watch trophy at 2025 Produce Awards - Produce Awards

Aug 28, 2025

A turf war is brewing among some of our top chefs, and it's all over one slightly strange-looking shellfish.

At the recent delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards ceremony, chef and Produce Awards National Judge Alla Wolf-Tasker revealed that she had a bone to pick with Peter Gilmore about Australian razorfish – a highly coveted shellfish that has only recently become commercially available in Australia.

When it comes to sourcing the very best produce in the country, you’ve got to get up pretty early in the morning to beat Gilmore, whose culinary vision is behind the mind-blowing cuisine at Sydney’s acclaimed Bennelong and Quay restaurants. It turns out he had already snatched up the super-limited first-harvest stock.

When Wolf-Tasker got up to present the Artisan award, she opened her remarks by taking a light-hearted dig at her fellow National Judge.

“The camaraderie amongst the judges mostly is absolutely fantastic,” she said. “But I do have to say, where’s Peter Gilmore? Where are you, Peter Gilmore? No damn wonder I can’t get any razor clams. Who was it that said, ‘Get on the phone straight away?’ Yeah. Well, he did, and you can’t get them for love nor money.”

Australian razorfish — James Boylan with some of his razorfish.

What is razorfish?

You wouldn’t be alone in asking. Also known as razor clams, these wedge-shaped burrowing shellfish can be eaten raw, pickled, grilled or battered. The flavour has been compared to something in between a scallop, an abalone and a prawn, with a delightful textural bite. They’re considered a delicacy in many other countries, but have never been commercially produced here in Australia… until recently.

It took South Australian oyster farmer James Boylan almost 15 years to obtain a licence to farm razorfish, which he finally procured in 2022. Based in Smoky Bay on South Australia’s west coast, Boylan raises these remarkable-looking molluscs from wild broodstock, first growing the spat (babies) in baskets underwater, before burying them under the sand as they grow larger, leaving them to mature for about three years. Once they mature, razorfish begin to protrude out of the sand like a mushroom.

Razorfish aren’t just a culinary delicacy; they’re also an incredibly sustainable seafood source. They require no supplemental feed or chemicals to produce, and naturally filter seawater, which means they also contribute to the health of the marine ecosystem as they grow.

Boylan uses an air-compressor to gently harvest them, which keeps the shell intact. A half-shell can later be used to serve the meat, just like a scallop. These shellfish might look tough, but they require very delicate handling; much testing had to be done to determine the precise storage and transport requirements to keep the harvested razorfish in premium condition.

Now that Boylan’s hard work is starting to bear fruit, chefs are getting excited. So excited, in fact, our National Judges have named Australian Razorfish as the winner of the One to Watch award at the 2025 Produce Awards.

An ancient fish in a modern landscape

“The chance to have a new product hit the market that has never been out there before is pretty unique,” Boylan said when accepting his award. “We’re so grateful that the the whole cooking world has accepted it, and we’re very humbled.”

Produce Awards National Judge and chef Karena Armstrong congratulated Boylan for reintroducing “an ancient species to a modern landscape”.

“[Boylan has] brought to market a product that, unanimously, the judges described as exceptional, extraordinary and innovative,” she said.

If you’re keen to get a taste of razorfish for yourself, you’ll either have to score yourself a reservation at Quay or Bennelong, or wait until next season – and hope that Gilmore doesn’t beat everyone to the punch yet again.