Introduction

The oyster has been synonamous with Whitstable since the Romans first started cultivating them in this area. The combination of clean salt water and tidal influences were ideal for this shellfish and the town, boatbuilding and fishing flourished as the beds developed.

The proximity of the town to Roman Canterbury was important as the city became the main marketing point for the oysters. This importance grew as Canterbury became isolated from the sea when the Stour river and Wantsum channels silted up. The harbour developed as Whitstable in turn became a lifeline to the city being the nearest sea town for the years before road and rail transport were available. This was why the two were joined by the world's first passenger railway service, the Crab & Winkle line, remnants of which can still be found today.

On this and linked pages you can find out more about the oyster, where to buy them, how they are cultivated and recipes that include them.

1. Oysters were not always the rare delicacy they are now. In 1900 over 40,000,000 Oysters were landed in England, valued at about £160,000. At that time most oysters were pickled and were a cheap source of nutrition for the poor. The demand nearly emptied the oyster beds.

2. You might think that champagne was the obvious romantic accompaniment to a dish of oyster, but a crisp dry white wine is said to be the best partner. Some prefer a local beer to create the atmosphere of Oyster dredgerman relaxing at the harbour after a hard day's work.

3. Several types of oyster are available. The two main types of Oyster sold in England are the Native, for example the Whitstable Native (Ostrea edulis), and the Pacific (Crassostrea Gigus).

4. The Native oysters spawn in May, June, July and August (when the month has no 'R') and are not sold during these months, whilst the Pacific rarely spawn in our climate so can be sold throughout the year.

5. Espinoz Valerio broke the world oyster opening record by opening 100 oysters in 7 minutes and 32 seconds.

6. Raw oysters are best served on crushed ice and seaweed, with fresh lemon juice or red wine dressing. They should be eaten on the half shell, liquid included, for the full experience.

7. The oyster is neither completely male or female. It alternates from being a female (producing ova) to being male (producing spermatozoa). It does not fertilise itself.

8. Oysters are grown close to the low water mark of Spring tides. This means they are only accessible to be sorted and worked with during alternate weeks.

9. When, according to myth, the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite 'sprang from the sea on an oyster shell and gave birth to Eros' the word 'aphrodisiac' was born.

10. Now is the oyster really an aphrodisiac? Well it does contain zinc which is now known to be good for testosterone production and improving sperm count. Zinc also improves visual memory and reduces the occurrence of varicose veins which might explain why the ladies of Whitstable have such lovely legs!

The Oyster and Dredgers of Whitstable. This gem of a book was published in 1902 telling the first hand account of the Whitstable Oyster industry. We have transcribed it here, including pictures and map of the Oyster beds.