WHY ORGANIC

So what does “Organic” mean, when talking about oysters? Surely, one can argue that most sea creatures are organic?

To answer this question, other factors have to be taken into consideration, how they are grown and harvested and if the loss in the eco chain can be quantified and sustainable.

Firstly, we source the oyster seed from hatcheries and so do not deplete natural stocks. The oysters eat natural algae, so nothing is added to the water (i.e. no food or additives) and no chemicals are used to treat the oysters at any stage. We farm the same ground year after year (an area due West of Brownsea Island) and so have to look after the seabed that the oysters grow on. We use what is known as an “eco-harvester” which is designed to be gentle on both the seabed and the shellfish.

Once landed, the oysters are delivered to Dorset Oysters depuration plant, which is 3 miles away from the oyster beds. The depuration plant is state of the art and exceeds all the statutory health and safety requirements. Our products are carefully monitored and tested at each stage from initial settling in until they are sold to the open market. The oysters are put into trays and purified in tanks using UV light.