Toby's Seafood on Red Hills Road is the Massey branch of a small group of Auckland seafood shops, run on a simple philosophy: only the highest quality seafood at the best price, with freshness as the number one priority. The shop's promise — fresh fish daily at market prices — means the display changes with the day's catch, and only the finest seafood and shellfish make the cut.
There's plenty of choice in how you take it home. The whole fish selection ranges from tarakihi and gurnard to the ever-popular snapper, and your pick is filleted before your eyes. Shellfish lovers are covered too, with fresh seasonal options and honest cooking advice on request — steamed lobster is the shop's own suggestion for showing it off. If you'd rather skip the stove, there are ready-to-eat options as well, from their take on classic Kiwi fish 'n' chips to a tangy prawn cocktail.
Customers are a stated priority here, and the counter reflects it: staff are happy to advise on what's fresh and how to cook it. The Massey shop also runs its own online ordering, making it easy to sort dinner ahead. It's a straightforward, friendly West Auckland fish shop that does the basics properly.
Toby's Seafood in Massey keeps things refreshingly simple: quality seafood straight from the ocean, every day, at market prices. You'll find the shop at Shop 10, 3 Red Hills Road in West Auckland, one of five Toby's Seafood shops around the city — the others are in Otahuhu, Glen Eden, Manurewa and Glen Innes — all working to the same house philosophy. At Toby's, freshness is the main priority, only the finest seafood and shellfish make the cut, and customers are treated as a priority too.
That promise sits across the Massey branch's own page, and it shapes the whole shopping experience. Because fish is priced at market rates and lands fresh each day, the display genuinely changes — regulars drop in to see what looks best and plan dinner around it. It's a different rhythm to the supermarket chiller, and it's priced to reflect the market, which is exactly what the sign promises.
The heart of the shop is its whole fish display. Toby's stocks a wide variety of ocean-fresh whole fish — tasty tarakihi, gurnard and the ever-popular snapper are the ones the shop name-checks, and they map neatly onto the classic Kiwi fish dinner. The service is part of the appeal: take your pick from the display and watch as your dinner is filleted before your very eyes. You can see exactly what you're buying, you don't have to deal with bones at the kitchen bench, and you get the cut the way you want it. If you're unsure which fish to choose, the counter team is there to help you decide.
Shellfish fans are well looked after. Toby's sells full-flavoured, fresh seasonal shellfish, and the staff go a step further than most: if you need inspiration on how to cook your purchases, just ask and they'll provide advice. Steamed lobster is the shop's own suggestion for letting good shellfish shine, and the same willingness to talk you through preparation applies right across the cabinet. It's the kind of practical, no-fuss guidance that turns a nervous first purchase into a regular one.
Not every visit has to end in cooking. Alongside the fresh fish and shellfish, Toby's offers a variety of ready-to-eat options — the shop's own take on the classic Kiwi fish 'n' chips, and a tangy prawn cocktail for something quicker and colder. It makes the Massey shop as much a dinner stop as a fishmonger: grab a feed on the way home, or pick up a whole snapper for the weekend and let the staff handle the filleting. Either way, you're eating well without much effort.
If you like to plan, the Massey branch has its own online ordering site, so you can arrange your seafood before you even leave the house. Prefer to talk to a person? The shop takes calls on 09 832 5588, and you can email [email protected] with any questions. Because stock moves with the market and the season, a quick call ahead is a handy way to find out what's looking good on a given day.
Toby's Seafood has grown into a small network of Auckland shops — Otahuhu, Massey, Glen Eden, Manurewa and Glen Innes — but the goal hasn't shifted from the one stated on its About page: to supply only the highest quality seafood at the best price, and to give customers the best experience possible. For West Aucklanders, that means a proper fish shop on Red Hills Road where the fish is fresh, the filleting is done in front of you, and the fish 'n' chips are ready when you are.
Whether you're shopping for a whole fish to cook at home, shellfish for a special dinner, or a ready-to-eat feed on the drive home, the formula stays the same: start with the freshest seafood, keep it simple, and let quality do the work.