Richard Marsh
Bigbury Bay Oysters - a Food & Drink feature (January 2009)
Oysters create polar reactions in people – you either love them or you don’t; really very little in-between. Richard Marsh of Bigbury Bay Oysters is trying to build the number of local oyster lovers with his delicious harvest from the pure waters of the River Avon. This is his story.
London-based builder Richard came to Bigbury 4 years ago as a keen surfer. His aim was to find a job which would let him continue his surfing passion and he quickly fell in love with the area. He leased the site of an old oyster farm and set about rebuilding it. The oysters have now rather taken over his life and his surfing happens on winter trips away rather than down at Bigbury Beach.
A quarter of a mile up river from the bay, the farm hadn’t been worked for a few years and Richard’s first job was to dredge the river and clean out all the silt. He then made a number of metal trestle tables to which he attaches the sacks of oysters. As they grow, they are washed by the tide from Bigbury Bay and the waters coming down from Dartmoor - oysters feed off the plankton and nutrients that wash through them, the sea water giving them their salty freshness and the fresh water their nutty sweetness. Connoisseurs tell Richard they are the best they have ever tasted because of this combination.
The oysters are Pacific ones which come as babies and grow in mesh bags in the tidal stream. They are checked daily, rain, hail or shine, for health and size. Every 2-4 weeks they are turned in their bags – that’s 30 tonnes at a time. A lot of the rest of Richard’s time seems to be making sure the oysters are in pristine condition for sale – the oysters are graded and gathered and then blast-washed with fresh water. This is followed by 42 hours in a purifier when they are soaked in ultraviolet light to kill bacteria and get rid of any silt. He also needs to ensure the Avon itself is free from any debris being washed down from Dartmoor after heavy rains – branches and old trees can do a lot of damage. Additionally he has received funding to fence off neighbouring feeder streams so cattle don’t get in and foul the water.
This all requires close work with local farmers and the Food Standards Agency amongst other bodies.
When the oysters are 3-4 years old and have reached a weight of 75-100grams, they are harvested and sold to a growing number of restaurants and shops in the South Hams. When I spoke to Richard he was very excited by a new customer in France who had just ordered 2 tonnes for Christmas – the French all eat and love oysters for the festive season and their home market just can’t cope with demand. Richard sells direct to customers at Kingsbridge farmers market and food fairs such as Dartmouth. You can also buy them online and send them as presents all over the country by overnight courier.
If you are taking them home, keep them in the fridge with the deep shell down so they don’t dry out and then eat them within 7 days. Don’t keep them in water or they will – rather ironically – drown. Eat them with just a squeeze of lemon juice or the South Devon Chilli Farm’s Jalapeno Sauce sprinkled on top. Alternatively they are delicious served with crispy bacon and sizzled very quickly – seconds – in the hot bacon fat or place them in their shells under the grill sprinkled with some finely chopped herbs and Sharpham cheese.
Shucking – or opening - oysters has always been a potentially dangerous affair for a novice. A short stubby knife and a gnarled crevassy shell clamped tight shut – frankly a recipe for disaster. You can now get the latest opener – from Richard of course – which is a cross between a pair of scissors and a knife. Instead of entering from the stiff hinge end, you make a cut in the side of the shell with the scissory bit and then insert the knife to open up the oyster. Much easier. Make sure the deep shell is on the bottom when you open it so you hang on to the juice; then loosen them off the shell with a knife. Squeeze on your lemon juice, pop them in your mouth and press them to the roof of your mouth with your tongue to release the juices and the sweetness. Chew them lightly once or twice and then swallow and enjoy the fresh iodiney taste of the sea.
The benefits of oysters are legendary with its aphrodisiacal qualities usually the most well known. These are backed up by university studies – the findings are that the high levels of zinc are good for the circulation and also help produce testosterone and progesterone. Oysters are also low in fat, have more Omega 3 than any oily fish, are full of other minerals such as copper, iron, potassium and iodine and are a great source of vitamins B and E. A regular helping of 6 oysters will help your balanced diet.
Interesting oystery facts –
- If left in the wild to grow, they can reach 40 years of age – Richard has some in the river that were there when he took over the farm which are bigger than his foot.
- They are pretty predator-free except for the odd oyster catcher.
- The old tale of only eating oysters with an R in the month was due to the native oysters spawning in the summer months. Richard’s Pacific oysters don’t spawn here as the waters aren’t warm enough so you can eat and enjoy them all year round.
- Pacific oysters start off their lives as males and later become female.
- Casanova used to eat 40 oysters a day so convinced was he of their aphrodisiacal powers.
- They were a regular source of cheap protein for the poor of London before the rich realised what they were missing and the price went up.
Next time you see Richard or his dad Peter at a food fair or farmers market, ask for a tasting. They reckon they can convert 8 out of 10 oyster novices to the joy of these sweet salty shellfish.
Visit www.bigburybayoysters.co.uk for more information
First Published January 2009 By The Dart