Signature Oysters: Media
SYDNEY TASTE
MUCH like the creatures that it hopes to showcase, the organisation behind Australia’s Oyster Coast is a slow-growing animal.
An oyster being shucked at Le Pelican restaurant in Darlinghurst.
his year, though, expect one of our best loved restaurant starting dishes and aquacultural exports to get the recognition it deserves. As part of a grand plan, an industry association of 100 environmentally aware oyster farmers is creating an oyster trail running 300km along the pristine coastline of the NSW South Coast, from the Shoalhaven to Wonboyn Lake, near the Victorian border.
“It’s creating a whole experience,” says fifth-generation oyster farmer Ben Ralston. “All the way down you are going to be able to pull up and have an oyster experience, but it’s not only about oyster farmers, it’s about (the rest of the) community as well.”
“It’s creating a whole experience”
He says tourism, both domestic and international, will highlight the bivalve through a tasting trail,
“Australia’s Oyster Coast is probably going to be the most exciting big venture that’s happened here
”
canoe tours and boat trips to add to existing oyster shed sales.
Signature Oysters: Media
Lakes dot the south coast and far south coast making it ideal for oysters.
because we are going for the regional brand,” he says. “It’s in pretty natural form at the moment but you have to start somewhere.”
Ewan McAsh
Ewan McAsh from McAsh oysters says another level of education will be to get more mid-level Sydney restaurants to shuck their own.
Ewen McAsh (sic) has gathered 40 oyster farmers from across Australia, including 15 from the South Coast to supply restaurants under the co-operative Signature Oysters brand which has just been launched. While the initial push is into Melbourne, he has already received requests to supply other cities. “I am already drawing on the network of farmers through Signature Oysters to help me service those chefs better. I can’t wait to launch these other cities to maintain a good supply of oysters.” Recent heavy rains are a two-edged sword. “Rain is a catch 22, it stops us from selling but we’ve just got fantastic growing conditions now because the water is just green
“It’s all part of giving people a better oyster experience,” he says. “The convenience of a pre-shucked oyster is no good for anyone, it’s not a good oyster to eat, it’s not good for the farmer. It doesn’t do justice to the oyster really.”
“I can’t wait to launch these other cities”
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McASH OYSTERS, CLYDE RIVER SOLD AT PEI MODERN
Picture: Grant Jones.
with food,” he says. “It’s probably been one of the worst years around but it hasn’t affected sales and it’s definitely improved the growth of the oysters, they love it.”
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT EWAN AT : www.mcashoysters.com FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SIGNATURE OYSTERS AT : www.signatureoysters. com.au