Josh and Julie Niland's New Fish Butchery Is Now Open in Waterloo

Sydney's sustainable seafood duo Josh and Julie Niland are back with their latest butchery and takeaway shop, with the second iteration of their popular Paddington Fish Butchery arriving in Waterloo. First announced in late 2021 and now open on Bourke Street, the new store sees the duo utilising a larger space than their previous ventures, and also expands their reach by selling both sustainable and unique cuts of seafood, plus elevated fish and chip-style takeaway using these cuts of fish. There's even a plan to introduce dine-in in the coming months.

Step inside and you'll be greeted by a 13-metre-long marble counter displaying all of the exciting selections of seafood you can choose from to take home and cook with or enjoy raw. The raw and dry-aged seafood is all sourced from a network of local fisherman the Nilands have amassed, including Bruce Collis, Walkers Seafood and Luke Buchholz.

"Our mission at Fish Butchery is to work with remarkable fish caught and handled by extraordinary fishers that care about the details as much as we do," said Josh Niland. "By being scrupulous in the variables of fish processing, storage and cooking, a more responsible collective approach is achieved, resulting in a higher standard of fish on our plate."

When it comes to the takeaway options, Niland's popular yellowfin tuna cheeseburger makes an appearance alongside some new inventive creations. There's a tuna belly pastrami sandwich, a smoked scallop mortadella banh mi, Murray cod souvlaki, and a pie box featuring a tuna pie, sausage roll and quiche lorraine made with smoked Murray cod streaky bacon and gruyere.

If you're more in the mood for some classic fish and chip shop-style snacks, you can order a 150-gram barbecue fish fillet with all the sides from chips and salad through to onion rings and potato scallops.

At the heart of all this is providing seafood that is not only sustainably sourced, but also sustainably consumed. "If we insist on continuing to consume only half the fish, there will be no fish left in years to come, regardless of how 'sustainable' they are," Niland says. "The issue of fish wastage should not be in the hands of the consumer; it is in the hands of those who catch, prepare and sell. Our priority at Fish Butchery is to bring tangibly delicious outcomes to the otherwise perceived 'waste' of a fish."

Fish Butchery is open at 965 Bourke Street, Waterloo — from 10am–7pm Wednesday–Saturday and 10am–6pm on Sundays.