Brown Crab vs Spider Crab: Britain’s Crab Double Act

Rockfish is a harmonious place. We all share the same mission: to help British people fall back in love with local, sustainable, seafood.

But if there is one thing that causes a rift, a schism amongst us, to the point that chefs will go at each other tooth and nail, it’s the question: “which is tastier, a brown crab or a spider crab?”.

Hang on, there’s two types of crab?!

Actually, there are 67 species of crab in UK waters alone. But commercially? Just two make it onto our plates:

1. Brown crab
2. Spider crab

You’ve probably spotted them both on our Online Seafood Market. Telling them apart is easy. The brown crab is a deep Devon-red — or terracotta if you’re feeling fancy — shaped like a Cornish pasty with legs.

The spider crab? Well, it looks like it wandered off the set of War of the Worlds, with long, spindly legs and a spiny, moss-covered shell.

Moss?! On a crab?

You best believe it! Spider crabs have a sort of spongy carpet-like substance on their backs which they use to grow their own camouflage. Like those suits the SAS wear, but somehow even more terrifying.

Brown crabs meanwhile hide in holes, and camo themselves by looking distinctly like a shiny flat stone in the sand. Besides, even if a predator did ‘have a go’, they’re literally made of armour and are backed up by a pair of giant claws so strong they could crush your finger in two. They might look like a pasty, but there is nothing soft or welcoming about these brutes. They are about as approachable as a Churchill tank.

What’s a soft-shelled crab then?

Ah yes — the plot thickens. Like all crustaceans, crabs must grow, but growing is tricky when your skin is your skeleton. Unlike us, who can simply slip up a notch or two on the belt each time we put on a few pounds, crabs have to shed their old shell in an exhausting, Houdini-like manoeuvre, pulling themselves backwards out of their body armour and emerging soft, naked, and frankly terrified.

Naked… and vulnerable? In an ocean full of predators… sounds dangerous?

It is! But luckily biology thought of that. When malting a crab will let out a hormone which is attractive to other crabs. It turns out that when a female crab is soft, it’s a perfect time to mate as they get the advantage of their new lover being a big, armoured bodyguard.

Okay so they look a bit different… but it sounds like brown crabs and spider crabs have the same trials and tribulations; they live similar sort of lives, do they taste at all different?

You bet. Sure, to the untrained palate, crab just tastes like crab. But to those who’ve cracked enough claws (or dived into enough bowls of crab spaghetti) the differences between brown and spider crab are clear — and delicious. I’ll explain…

Brown Crab:

Sweet, yes, but with a rich, hearty depth. Its white meat is firm and flaky, while the brown meat is unctuous, with savoury - and even a little umami-flavoured - perfect for indulgent dishes. It’s the crab you want when you’re making a bisque, a Singapore Chilli Crab, or even just spooning brown meat straight onto soft white bread.

Spider Crab:

Often even sweeter, with longer, silkier strands of white meat. Spider crabs have little-to-no brown meat, but what they lack there, they make up for with that delicate, ocean-fresh flavour. Some fishermen liken them to lobster, with many saying they actually prefer the taste of a spider! They shine in lighter, fresher dishes — like our Vietnamese-style Spider Crab Salad or a simple Spaghetti with South Devon Crab, chilli, and parsley.

So… Which is better?

Honestly? They’re both brilliant.

Brown crab brings tradition and versatility — it holds its own in rich, flavour-packed dishes. It’s got a real traditional, English crab taste.

Spider crab however adds elegance — it’s light, sweet, and loves a good splash of citrus or chilli. They’re also underloved here in the UK, and you know that at Rockfish part of our mission is to shine a light on the more underutilised, domestic seafood to help our nation diversify. Spider crabs were once thought to be from the Mediterranean (science has since proven otherwise). But as a result, they’re much better suited to zingier, lighter dishes.

At Rockfish, we don’t take sides. We serve both. And, as crab season kicks off this spring — as bigger, sustainably-sized crabs head inshore to feed — you’ll find both brown and spider crab landing on our Online Seafood Market and featuring on menus across our 9 (soon to be 11!) restaurants. All caught locally by fishers we know and trust.

One last question… What crab goes into a crab stick?

None.

If you’re lucky, there might be a hint of pollack. But any real crab? That’s about as likely as spotting a Brixham trawlerman in sequins on Strictly. Stick with the real stuff.