Behind every dish is a team committed to sourcing the finest ingredients. Since 2001, Endeavour Foods has been trusted by chefs across Perth to deliver only the freshest, highest-quality catches, on time, every time.
“Endeavour makes my life easy because there’s never a drama. When you run a restaurant, you can’t have produce not arriving on time or being of sub-quality, and that just doesn’t happen with Endeavour. You put your order in, and it arrives on time, and the quality is second to none.”
These words from Aaron Carr, chef-owner of Yarri Restaurant, capture the essence of Endeavour Foods. For John Sharland, Founder and Managing Director of the seafood wholesaler, the mission has always been clear—not just to deliver seafood from the ocean to venues, but to connect chefs and restaurateurs to the waters from which it came and the people who harvested it.
Growing up in the UK around the Harbour of Poole, John’s love for the water, boats and fishing started from an early age, often venturing out on the water onboard his grandfather’s boat. After school, he pursued his passion by attending a fishing college in Falmouth, before diving into commercial fishing for five years, harvesting crab and lobster from the English Channel.
The physical toll of a career at sea, however, led John to reconsider his path and he decided to explore the post-harvest side of the industry. He worked briefly as a delivery driver for a seafood wholesaler, M&J Seafoods, in the south and southwest regions of the UK, where he gained a better understanding of the wholesale process. It was here that the idea of transitioning to a less physically demanding, yet equally engaging role in the seafood industry began to take shape.
“I think after you’ve had a job fishing for numerous years, any job after that is quite easy,” says John. “You don’t realise how hard fishing is until you step away. For me, it was about still being involved in the seafood industry without it being so hard on the body, so it was a switch that I embraced”
This transition ultimately led him to Australia, where he went on to found Endeavour Foods with the vision of connecting the fishermen’s stories to the chefs and restaurateurs who relied on their catch.
“Understanding how hard the job is on the fisherman empowered me to respect the harvesting side,” he explains. “I could then pass that understanding on to the customer. Dealing with the product, respecting where it’s come from, and telling the producer’s story to the chef is a key part of Endeavour’s offering day in, day out.”
For John, telling the story of the producer is also integral to building trust with his customers. “Fishermen don’t have the time to tell their own stories, so we take that responsibility on,” he says. “We like to think that we build trust with chefs based on the integrity of that story. We try to get them to understand where things come from and the challenges that producers face.”
This commitment to transparency is just part of the reason Endeavour Foods has thrived for over two decades, despite the unpredictable nature of the seafood industry. “With a lot of seafood, we try to manage supply through both fresh and freshly frozen options, ensuring continuity of supply for our clients”, John explains.
“One thing we try to do is ensure that we’re not selling into new business with things that are going to potentially run out. We allocate produce in off season which ensures continuity of supply for our regular clientele. In doing this, we find that it builds trust in our relations with the hospitality industry.”
Reflecting on the life of Endeavour, John can’t imagine it being where it is today without the dedication of its team. “The relationships we’ve built with staff is the highlight for me,” John reflects. “Our staff are incredibly important. Some of them have been with us for the full 23 years. My assistant fleet manager has been with me for 23 years, my operations manager for 19, and my fleet manager for 16. There’s also Sophie, my daughter, as a general manager who brings young passion and with that, a fresh approach to the business. We’re very proud of what we’ve produced together as a team.”
As Endeavour moves forward, John is excited about the future of the hospitality industry in Western Australia. “WA is one of the best places to be in the world, and there’s some great things happening in the industry. It’s come a long way since I was first involved in the eighties. The scene is dynamic, with many fantastic chefs celebrating the incredible produce the state has to offer.”
For Aaron Carr, one such remarkable produce is fresh Rottnest Island Scallops – his favourite product from Endeavour to work with. “To get live scallops is something special. At Yarri, we just cure them for 5 minutes in a brine and serve them with something simple from our garden to let the scallops shine. When the produce is that good, it’s best not to be played with”
Visit Endeavour Foods’ website to learn more or discover more great seafood with the best lobster dishes in Perth.
