Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Rebecca (Bec) of Wild Local in her fish & chip shop by the display of all their locally sourced seafood. Photo credit: Victoria Velton
Winning Queensland's 2026 Seafood Industry Take-Away Fish & Chips Award was a proud moment for Wild Local owner Rebecca (Bec) Zaghini, which represents the promise of something bigger on the horizon.
With the business now preparing to represent Queensland as one of Australia's top three fish and chip shops at the Australian Seafood Industry Awards in Sydney on July 30th, Bec believes the recognition belongs to an entire community.
"It was a win not just for our shop and our team here at Wild Local, but it was a win for our seafood community," she said.
"We are nothing without the fishermen behind us who put that amazing product in the display every day."
When accepting the Queensland title earlier this year, Bec said she spoke from the heart, thanking the commercial fishers and their families whose hard work supplies fresh seafood to the region every day.
"They're out on the water feeding our community, our visitors and our locals," she said.
Bec believes Wild Local stood out because of its commitment to serving locally caught seafood.
"We believe you deserve to know where your food comes from," she said.
"That's why we champion sustainable fishing methods and proudly highlight our fishermen's accreditation through the Master Fishermen Accreditation Program with OceanWatch, because great seafood starts long before it reaches your plate."
She said being based in Hinchinbrook gives the business a unique advantage, with access to fresh local seafood that many businesses elsewhere struggle to source.
"I'm talking to Darcy from Johnny's Fish Bar about how we make Ingham and Hinchinbrook a wild seafood destination," Bec said.
"It doesn't matter if you're getting your fish and chips from Wild Local or from Johnny's Fish Bar. When you're shopping local, you're supporting our fishing families, our fishing culture and our community."
Bec believes visitors should be encouraged to ask not only whether their seafood is Australian, but whether it was caught right here in Hinchinbrook.
"When you do that, you're really investing in our community, in jobs and in the future of our region."
"It's not just a piece of fish on your Friday night. This is jobs. This is regional security. This is food security. This is history."
That’s why Bec has established Wild & Fresh, a community initiative to bring together commercial fishers, seafood retailers, government and industry representatives.
Its first major event, Spotlight on Hinchinbrook, will be held in September, welcoming delegates from across Australia for industry discussions, networking opportunities, seafood experiences and community celebrations designed to showcase everything the region has to offer.
Bec hopes the event will pave the way for more.
"Our dream is to create a seafood festival here in 2027," she said.
While the Queensland title has placed Wild Local firmly in the national spotlight, Bec says the award is only the beginning of a much bigger journey to make Hinchinbrook synonymous with Australia's finest wild seafood.
"The idea has been simmering away in my head for a little while," she said.
"I thought, why aren't we celebrating our seafood? We've got this amazing resource right on our doorstep."
Bec hopes the Spotlight event will become an annual fixture and eventually grow into a major drawcard for the region. She envisions a celebration that not only showcases fresh local seafood, but also highlights Hinchinbrook's fishing heritage, local producers, live entertainment and unique tourism experiences.
"It's about creating opportunities for the next generation," she said.
"It's about supporting our fishermen, our businesses and making sure people understand just how important this industry is."
"It's not about businesses being competitive with each other, but how can we collaborate to lift each other up?" she said.
"If they're buying local seafood, they're supporting our fishing families."
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