Smoked crocodile on pub menu brings fame to north Queensland town

Smoked crocodile might come as a surprise for diners expecting a chicken parmigiana or rump steak on a pub menu, but one north Queensland venue says it can barely keep up with demand.

Warning: This story contains images some readers may find disturbing

Owners Tori and Alex Muzic took over the El Arish Tavern seven months ago after the pub closed in April last year and went up for sale.

The town of 300 people sits about an hour and a half south of Cairns on the Bruce Highway.

The pub bustles with people every afternoon, with many coming from Cairns or Townsville just to see the crocodiles cooking on the smoker.

The plan to bring crocodiles to the tavern table was inspired by staff serving the meat at the pub's work Christmas party.

Alex Muzic said he did not expect the idea to be so popular, saying he now takes up to 20 orders a week coming from diners wanting a taste of the meat.

"It started off as a bit of a joke more than anything — 'Let's smoke a crocodile,'" he said.

The Muzics source saltwater crocodiles from a local accredited supplier, who receives meat from legitimate crocodile farms.

Crocs bring thousands of tourists

Just north of Cairns, Hartley's Crocodile Adventures operates a saltwater crocodile farm that doubles as a tourist attraction.

Co-owner Angela Freeman said the demand for crocodile meat had increased each year, with the farm producing about 5 tonnes annually.

"There's always been a good demand, but I think that people are becoming more and more aware of it as a gourmet food," she said.

Hartley's has about 3,000 saltwater crocodiles at the farm at any time, including the eggs in the incubators.

Aside from the demand for meat, visitors have also increased in the 24 years the facility has been running, with more than 1,000 people walking through the gates on its busier days.

The farm received a $300,000 grant from the state government this month, as part of a wider $2 million tourism package for Far North Queensland.

Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell said the government was backing more regional Queensland tourism operators.

"We're proud to back Hartley's Crocodile Adventures as they upgrade their iconic Far North Queensland attraction, boosting visitor experiences and meeting growing tourism demand," he said.

Ms Freeman said crocodile farming was sustainable and was recognised as a form of tropical agriculture.

"Crocodile recovery around the world has … operated hand-in-glove with the actual crocodile farming operations because it's … helped with a lot of scientific research, statistical data and so forth."

Pub thrives after closure

Mr Muzic grew up just a few houses down from the pub he now owns.

"I've had many birthdays, family dinners and special events here," he said.

Regular patron Rhys Walton said the pub brought the community together.

"Friendship and family, people coming together," he said.

Ms Muzic said the couple's vision for the pub was to keep it busy without changing too much for the regular patrons.

"I don't think of it as our pub, it's the locals' pub," she said.