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Rock oysters (Crassostrea gigas) are a relative newcomer to Northern European coastal waters and have thrived over the past 30 years. They grow at more than twice the rate of the native oyster, reaching a marketable size in less than 2 years, and are more resilient than their counterparts to both the conditions and diseases that affect the natives. It was the Portuguese Rock oyster that was initially introduced to fisheries around the South coast and Essex coastline in the early 1900’s. These oysters proved to be reasonably successful but it wasn’t until the disease Bonemia virtually wiped out the UK native oyster industry that rock oysters came into their own. This time the Crassostrea gigas species of rock oyster from Japan and South East Asia proved to be the better quality and a more commercially viable oyster; it now dominates the rock oyster industry throughout Northern Europe.

While every oyster is unique in shape, their flavour is dependant on the area in which they have grown and the Pyefleet Creek, where our oysters grow, is very rich in plankton and minerals that are washed off the salt marshes by high tides and rainfall. These conditions are extremely good for the growth of oysters, hence why our oysters have a fantastic flavour, a much higher growth rate and are very plump compared to other oysters from around the British Isles.

As these oysters originate from the warmer waters of the Pacific Ocean they cannot naturally spawn in the cold waters surrounding the UK. This means that the oysters are putting on condition throughout the year, other than when it’s very cold, hence the ‘r in the month’ rule does not apply to rock oysters and they can be eaten all year round.

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