From Schoolboy Hobby to Hotelier

Wed, Mar 5th 2025 at 12:40 pm - 2:00 pm

Eric Brown gave a live presentation of how to prepare a lobster and a crab.

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The picture shows the largest crab ever caught on The Meikle Graigs, opposite the Marine Hotel, Troon.

"The Borrons from Troon" as young boys were expert crab catchers. They usually caught the crabs by hand at low tide.

The meeting opened with the induction of new member John Scott who was introduced by Hamish Tait. Eric Brown was the speaker in a presentation ‘From Schoolboy Hobby to Hotelier’ in which he demonstrated to the Club how to prepare and bring lobster and crab to the table. He began by thanking David Lowrie Fish Merchants of St Monans for their sponsorship, then recalled his boyhood in Troon on the sea-shore hunting crab in the pools at low tide. He then picked up his nutcracker, pick and sharp knife and showed how to prepare a whole lobster and crab, removing the intestinal tract, then the meat from claws, head and shell. He explained as he went how May to September is the best time to eat crab; how the red waxy meat is a sign that the shell is about to be shed and replaced; if the female is carrying eggs she should be returned to the water; how crustaceans can lose a claw or leg in a fight or in a net (reflex amputation) but will regrow it in a process of regeneration; it’s important to avoid getting any bits of shell mixed in with the meat! As a retired hotelier Eric has prepared lobster and crab many times, and he treated the members to ’some I prepared earlier’. This was an unusual talk but was greatly enjoyed, as was the tasting-session afterwards…