‘I was so excited to show it to Pete—a beautiful, live hand-harvested scallop from Western Australia—only to stare in shock because Peter was more interested in the frilly bits around the white flesh; bits that I would have thrown in the bin.’
Wayne Hulme is the most passionate person I know when it comes to seafood. His enthusiasm for everything that comes from the sea is infectious. A keen fisherman himself, Wayne heads up Joto Fresh Fish, along with owner Jules Crocker. Jules set up Joto more than 15 years ago, starting with one refrigerated van and a small rented premises in Clovelly, New South Wales. Wayne joined Jules at Joto in 2010. Joto Fresh Fish has grown to be recognised as one of Sydney’s premier seafood suppliers and now has a purpose-built factory in Botany, ten delivery trucks and 29 staff. I deal directly with Wayne for about 80 per cent of my seafood requirements, for two main reasons: his passion and commitment to quality and the personal relationships he has developed with small-scale sustainable fishermen.