In 1381 the monks of Lindisfarne Priory paid 100 shillings for a boatload of oysters. The beds were revived in 1989 and are farmed by one Northumberland family.
Brine4/ 5
Sweetness2/ 5
Minerality4/ 5
Umami2/ 5
England · Crassostrea gigas · finish mineral · texture firm · lemon no · 30–33 ppt · 5–14 °C · best October to April
Basic Profile
Origin
Ross Farm, Belford, facing Holy Island, Northumberland, England
Species
Crassostrea gigas (Pacific Oyster)
Classification
Farmed; single-producer brand
Farming Method
Grown on the shore facing Holy Island, feeding only on North Sea water
Producer
Lindisfarne Oysters (Christopher and Helen Sutherland)
Visual Signature
Pacific oyster shell
In 1381 the monks of Lindisfarne Priory paid 100 shillings to a Scotsman for a boat filled with oysters. Five centuries later the 1881 census listed an oysterman, Thomas Bowey, living beside the beds.1
The Lindisfarne Oysters building at Guile Point, Northumberland. Photo: James T M Towill / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Shells at Low Tide
The beds then fell quiet. In 1989 the current owners noticed oyster shells at low tide and decided to start production again. Christopher and Helen Sutherland run Lindisfarne Oysters as a small family business at Ross Farm, on the Northumbrian coast opposite Holy Island.1
Flavor Breakdown
The water
The farm says the oysters grow entirely on what they take from cool North Sea seawater.1 Cold, fully marine water gives a firm oyster that is salty from the first second.
The finish
Our scores rank brine and minerality well above sweetness. The salt does not soften into cream the way it does in a southern English estuary oyster.
What Makes Lindisfarne Unique
Few farmed oysters can point to a receipt from 1381. The priory's purchase, a Victorian oysterman in the census and a restart in 1989 all concern the same shore.1
A hard, salty North Sea oyster with a medieval paper trail. Order ahead and collect at the farm, or have them delivered within the UK.
Should You Add Lemon?
No
It is salty enough to carry itself. Taste it plain, then try mignonette if you want acid.
Pairing Guide
1
English sparkling wine
High acid against high salt.
2
Dry stout
The old British answer to a briny oyster, and it still works.
Optimal
Plain
Acceptable
Mignonette
Avoid
Lemon
Who Is This For?
Will love it
Brine lovers
Visitors timing the Holy Island causeway
Should skip it
Anyone who wants a sweet, creamy oyster
Sources
Ross Cottages. "Lindisfarne Oysters: A taste of Northumberland." rosscottages.uk
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