Poole Rock Oysters

These oysters are farmed in the warm, plankton rich waters of Poole Harbour, on the South Coast of England. They have a delicious nutty flavor, and have a good shelf life especially in the cooler months. They are available all year round.

The farm has been producing shellfish in Poole for over thirty years and uses innovative techniques to produce these lovely oysters. Oyster seed is produced in a hatchery and then grown in mesh bags hung on a nursery raft until it reaches a suitable size to be laid on the seabed. This generally takes about 1 year, so the oyster is large enough to withstand any attack from crabs.

Once laid on the seabed the oysters grow quickly to market size and are harvested by a remarkable craft dubbed the “eco-harvester”. Water jets blow the oysters onto a stainless steel conveyor and into the barge, where sizeable oysters are selected and anything too small is returned unharmed to the seabed.