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Kent seaside town offers oyster farm tours

Phil Harrison
BBC News, Whitstable
BBC Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company workers in yellow waders load sacks of oysters on a tractor trailer at low tide from an oyster farm a quarter of a mile offshoreBBC
The Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company is offering tours of its farm off the Kent coast

A Kent firm is offering people the opportunity to discover more about a seaside town's famous product that has been popular since Roman times.

The Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company's (WOFC) tours allow people to visit its oyster farm and preparation centre before enjoying a dish at one of its restaurants.

Farm tour manager Renny Hall, who runs the tours, said they could only take place at certain times of day due to the tides.

"We grow Pacific Rock Oysters on lines of metal trestle tables about a quarter of a mile off the coast," he said. "We have about an hour and a half window at low tide to get on our wellies and check on them at low tide."

Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company Farm Manager Renny Hall stands in the sand about a quarter of a mile off the beach at low tide with a marker buoy behind him which reads "Danger Oyster Trestles"
Farm tour manager Renny Hall takes tours to see the oysters at low tide in Whitstable

As well as following the oysters' journey from sea to plate, the tours also cover the WOFC's history.

In 1574 the right to fish in Whitstable was granted by Royal Patent and in 1793 the Company of Free Fishers and Dredgers of Whitstable was incorporated as the WOFC by a Private Act of Parliament.

At the company's peak in the 1850s it was sending about 80 million oysters to Billingsgate Fish Market in London every year.

Around 10.5 million oysters are grown at the farm each year now and supplied all over the country to private customers, fishmongers and restaurants.

A pair of Pacific Rock Oysters cradled in the hands of Farm Manager Renny Hall off the coast of Whitstable
Pacific rock oysters are grown at The Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company's farm and can be visited as part of the tour

Pacific rock oysters thrive in intertidal waters, where they spend a significant part of the day out of the water.

To adapt to this environment, they have developed thick, strong shells that protect them from natural predators and extreme weather conditions.

Whitstable Bay is an ideal location for oyster farming due to its nutrient-rich waters, which promote healthy growth and development.

The WOFC also sells Whitstable native oysters which are grown further out to sea and only accessible by dredger.

"We hope this adds to our town's tourism offer," added Mr Hall.

"We run the tours all year round and it's a lovely way to see how we make the product we are famous for."

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