FLYING CALAMARIBROTHERS taking seafood to new heights

You don’t have to eat at a bricks-and-mortar restaurant to taste some of Australia’s best seafood. After enduring a compulsory hiatus due to lockdowns over the past couple of years, the food van scene is starting to take off again. Many vendors – including The Flying Calamari Brothers – are back, with tasty menus to rival the country's best-loved establishments.

The Flying Calamari Brothers took to the Mornington Peninsula roads way back in 2001, when the mobile food van scene was still in its infancy. More than two decades later and the business, owned by friends Richard Burston and Ben Peterson, is still serving its much-loved calamari to crowds of hungry Victorians, often freshly cooking hundreds of portions at each event. With its distinctive illustration of two cheerful orange squid in superhero outfits – a cheeky seafood-themed nod to Astro Boy, drawn by a friend – The Flying Calamari Brothers van is hard to miss and always a crowd-pleaser.

The Flying Calamari Brothers are the creators of the original Calamari Cone, and you’ll find them dishing up their famous paper funnels filled with golden, super-tender calamari rings to diners at markets, festivals, events and seaside resorts.

The menu and locations change with the seasons, but customers can expect hearty servings of the comfort food – so you don’t have to worry about sharing a few pieces with someone who says they’re not hungry until they see the towering, fragrant cone in your hand and their appetite suddenly appears.

The duo keep things simple in their compact van by not veering too far from their signature dish – fresh, piping hot calamari rings, made from local squid where possible – with the addition of some complementary sides such as thick-cut chips and accompaniments of sweet chilli mayo, tartare and wedges of fresh lemon.

Ben, a chef, met Richard when they were both in their 20s and working in hospitality at Tucks Ridge. After pondering a food business of their own, they settled on calamari, which as Richard explains satisfied the criteria they set at the beginning for “a simple business offering one dish, fixed costs, and premium quality”.

Working from their commercial kitchen on a picturesque farm in Shoreham, the two-man team do all the prep work, with administrative support from Richard’s partner Bree. With the foundational belief that they build their reputation on quality, their hand-sliced, hand-battered, crunchy calamari was a hit from the outset.

Also on the menu from time to time, at places such as the Shoreham Market, are such culinary treats as vegetarian spring rolls with an Asian slaw, battered fish and chips, and garlic and chilli fried calamari, which is a favourite among locals.

While the pandemic saw them scale back their operations, they are now ramping up again and keeping things closer to the Peninsula than ever before, their weekends spent at markets and school fetes and the occasional larger multi-day festivals such as the Queenscliff and Meredith music festivals.

Having spent more than 20 years perfecting calamari, their talents don't stop there. If you have a significant birthday, wedding or special event to celebrate, they’ll bring their van to you, serving a wide variety of dishes and fresh salads from their custom mobile kitchen.

In addition to the seafood offerings, their catering menu includes such items as popcorn chicken, grilled chicken satay skewers topped with a homemade Balinese-style sauce an Indonesian friend taught them to make and served with jasmine rice, plus various salad sides and different styles of hot chips. It’s easy to see why The Flying Calamari Brothers have gained a cult following with food their customers can’t get enough of.

Find them on weekends at various markets and festivals throughout Victoria or ask about their catering services. See their website for location details.

BY SARAH HALFPENNY

THE FLYING CALAMARI BROTHERS P: 0409 427 862 www.flyingcalamaribrothers.com.au