Whole Live Crab

If you’re looking for ultra-fresh crab meat, a whole live crab is ideal. At Greendale Farm Shop, we keep live crabs in large saltwater tanks, so customers can buy them at their freshest. After choosing your crab from the tank, simply ask the Greendale fishmongers to kill it for you (while it is possible to kill crabs humanely at home, we think it’s a job best left to the professionals). We can also cook your crab for you – just ask – but if you plan to cook it at home, be sure to do it on the day of purchase and refrigerate until needed. If you’re not sure how to crack your cooked crab, don’t worry; our fishmongers can also do that for you (subject to availability) but if you’d like to try it yourself, we’ve created a handy crab-cracking guide. 

Whole Cooked Crab (Hen or Cock)

Cleaned and cooked on-site here at the Farm Shop, our whole cooked cock (male) and hen (female) crabs are available in a range of weights. If you’re not sure which to buy, the main difference in terms of the meat is that cock crabs tend to contain more white meat, while hen crabs typically have more brown meat. Hen crabs are often smaller than cock crabs - they also have smaller claws, which is where the white meat is found - but the brown meat they contain is delicious. You’ll get a nice mix of brown and white meat whichever you choose; the white meat is delicate, finely flaked and mild-tasting, while the brown meat tends to be richer and more strongly flavoured. 

Dressed Crab (Pictured above)

‘Dressed crab’ is simply crab that has been cleaned, cooked and prepared for serving, meaning you don’t need to worry about doing any of it! At Greendale, our fishmongers like to keep things beautifully simple, presenting their dressed local crab in a carefully cleaned crabshell – ready to eat and enjoy, it looks great served with a simple salad or as part of a larger spread.

Crab Meat 

After cleaning and cooking our freshly-caught local crabs, the Greendale fishmongers carefully pick the white meat from the claws and the brown meat from the body, then pack it into pots ready for sale. We offer freshly-cooked white or brown meat, as well as mixed pots containing a perfectly balanced mixture of both, all available in different weights, unfrozen or frozen. Not sure which to choose? If you prefer milder, lighter flavours, we can recommend the white meat, and if you like richness and intense flavour, try the brown; for a brilliant blend of both (and arguably the best crab sandwich you’ll ever make), go for the mixed pot.