Seasalter Shellfish (Whitstable) Limited
Seasalter On grow Site and Part Grown Seed Production
Seasalter Production Site
The mud flats (Pollard Ground) at Seasalter, Kent have had a long history of oyster production. Initially used as a harvesting area for Native flat oysters (Ostrea Edulis) and cockles, pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) were introduced by Seasalter Shellfish as a farmed hardier alternative to the slower growing natives in the 1970s. The site owned by Seasalter Shellfish was initially used to farm not only part grown, but also market size oysters for the UK table and restaurant market farmed from our own hatchery seed.
Over recent times production has shifted towards the half grown seed market within the Oyster farming industry as the demand for this durable and reliable product increased. The Pollard Ground production site area is vast (some 12 km2) and there is a huge tidal flow through the Thames estuary passing constantly over the flats. The seed oysters grown by Seasalter Shellfish here can store large reserves ensuring a good start to growth and strength in later life.
Our oysters are grown with a relatively high level of exposure to the air during tides which can slow initial growth a little but aids strong shell development and toughening up internally, this is essential to producing oysters that not only transport well but are tough enough to adapt quickly to a variety of new growing environments.
Over the past five years Seasalter Shellfish has specialised in the production of 18 month old seed between 15-25mm sieve size. These oysters are in high demand from oyster growers due to it’s reliability and durability in the on grow environment. We currently sell within the United Kingdom and export regularly to France.
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