Stranraer Oyster Festival

The UK’s native oyster season begins on 1 September. This means that the increasingly popular Stranraer Oyster Festival will soon be upon us, I’m grateful to my friend Cat Thomson for providing me with the official press release.

It appears that ice cream sellers have not been the sole beneficiaries of our warm summer. Marine experts have revealed that Scotland's native oyster bed has experienced a marine heatwave this summer that could deliver the best native oyster breeding season in decades.

Water temperatures in Loch Ryan in south west Scotland reached an unprecedented 17.8°C at the start of July, more than a full degree above normal summer temperatures, creating ideal conditions for native oyster reproduction and baby oysters, known as spats.

The news comes as the Festival unveils a marine science programme to complement the popular chef programme of events. The new events include cutting-edge research, science talks and hands-on experiences that will bring the hidden world beneath Loch Ryan's surface to festival audiences, alongside celebrity chefs, live music, a huge artisan market, and the Scottish Oyster Shucking Championships.

Fisherman John Mills: Photo by Pete Robinson

Lessons have been learned from the disastrous overfishing of oysters of the last century. Researchers emphasise that Loch Ryan's unique geography, clean water and long-term sustainable management practices make the oyster bed uniquely resilient. Careful harvesting practices, taking only the largest 5% of each catch and leaving oyster structures intact, ensure that the breeding population remains robust.

I learn that Loch Ryan oysters have been protected by Royal Charter since 1701. King William III gave the Wallace family the oyster rights in the loch in 1701 and they have remained in the family ever since. David and Tristan Hugh-Jones joined the Wallaces in 1996, with the aim of restoring the wild native oyster fishery back to full production. It seems that they are making a pretty good fist of it.

The festival was started eight years ago and has grown exponentially. Last year it attracted 24,000 visitors. This year’s event takes place from 12 – 14 September. There is an exceptional chef lineup featuring Saturday Kitchen's Matt Tebbutt and TV chef Rosemary Shrager. They are joined by festival favourites Tony Singh and Julie Lin, plus Bake Off star James Morton and six local chefs. The festival's Kitchen Marquee events are already seeing unprecedented demand for tickets, with a waiting list in operation for many of the cookery demonstrations.

Who knew that oyster shucking was a competitive sport? The winners of the Scottish Championship will go on to represent the country at the World Championships in Ireland in late September.

For more information and tickets see the website: www.stranraeroysterfestival.com.

I leave you with a splendid piece of trivia. A single oyster can filter up to 240 litres of seawater a day. Memorise that pearl of wisdom (pun intended) and amaze your friends.

Tom's Food! will return in October