Basic Profile
Origin
Mersea Island and the River Blackwater creeks, Essex, England, UK
Species
Ostrea edulis (native) and Crassostrea gigas (rock oyster)
Classification
Farmed; single-producer brand
Farming Method
Grown in the creeks around Mersea using methods passed down since the 1700s
Producer
Richard Haward's Oysters (Tom Haward)
Visual Signature
Native and rock oysters
The Haward family has grown oysters in the creeks around Mersea Island, Essex, since the 1700s. Richard Haward, the seventh generation, died in 2023, and his son Tom now runs the business.1
Mersea to London
The Hawards sell native and rock oysters from a stall at Borough Market, through Billingsgate, to restaurants and by mail.1 Their waters are the same Blackwater and Colne estuaries behind the Colchester native.
Flavor Breakdown
The native
A European flat from the Essex estuaries, with the species' firm meat and metallic finish.
The rock
A Pacific oyster from the same creeks, sold year-round.
What Makes Richard Haward's Unique
Eight generations of one family on the same Essex creeks, selling to London as they did in the eighteenth century.1 A Haward oyster at Borough Market is about as direct a line to English oyster history as you can buy.
An Essex family oyster with nearly 300 years behind it, sold at a London market stall. Buy natives in winter and eat them standing up.
Should You Add Lemon?
Cautiously
Try the native plain; the rock takes lemon well.
Pairing Guide
1
English sparkling wine
Local and chalky.
2
Stout
Dry and roasty with a native.
| Optimal | Plain |
| Acceptable | Lemon |
| Avoid | Tabasco |
Who Is This For?
Will love it
- Borough Market regulars
- Anyone interested in English oyster history
Should skip it
- Summer native hunters: rocks only
Sources
- Richard Haward's Oysters. "Our Story." richardhawardsoysters.shop