Port Philip Bay Oysters are pearlers this season

One of the biggest delicacies is produced right here in Port Philip Bay.

From 2010’s first crack at growing angasis, to growing 80mm plated oysters, Port Philip Bay Oysters are a second chance win from the team behind the Portarlington Mussel Tours.

Keep up to date with the latest in food and drinks across regional Victoria here.

 

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The initial inception of the farming operation was labour intensive, setting the oysters on scallop shells at the hatchery, then taking the scallop shells out to sea to reach around 20-30mm in size, and individually chipping the oysters off of the scallop shells by hand. The work model was unsustainable and they moved to gluing the shells to sea rope.

This method yielded some success in the first couple of years but in the third year the entire crop got covered in sea squirts, the oysters were smothered and they all died, and so that ended the oyster farming.

Cut to almost a decade later and an Instagram post made Shane Wiffen convince his dad to give the oysters another crack but through a different method of yielding; through trays. This coincided with their hatchery growing several million oysters for the nature conservancy, and so began another trial. 

The operations first year saw terrific growth, with the biggest issue being keeping up with the trays. The first 100 trays for production soon weren’t enough and they were constantly having to order more. As the oysters grow, the number of trays grows too. Now the company are seeing healthy and hearty oysters up to 80mm in size. Whilst the operation primarily runs between mussel season, Port Philip Oysters is now not just a viable business, but a thriving one with fantastic growth rates, low mortality and a premium product. 

The business is currently looking into the commercial scale of the oyster and selling to selected restaurants is the next step. Wiffen says “I’m excited about the future of the Port Phillip Bay oyster”.

Find out more about Port Philip Bay Oysters here.