Basic Profile

Origin
Smoky Bay, west coast of the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia
Species
Crassostrea gigas (Pacific Oyster)
Classification
Farmed on bay leases
Farming Method
Pacific oysters in baskets on intertidal leases
Producer
About 19 Smoky Bay growers, including the Evans and Zippel families
Visual Signature
Pacific oyster shell

In 1988 a rural recession was pushing share farmers on South Australia's west coast to look for other work. Selwyn Evans, known as Kiwi, tried oysters in Smoky Bay. Thirty years later the bay had about 19 oyster operations.1

The jetty at Smoky Bay, South Australia
The jetty at Smoky Bay, South Australia. Photo: Bahnfrend / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

From a Bus to a Road Train

The Zippel brothers, Bruce, Ashley and Gary, were the fourth family to start, in the late 1980s, and their children now work in the business. Kiwi Evans's son Judd had been an oyster farmer for nearly 24 years by 2018. As the growers tell it, the bay went from packing oysters on the back of a bus to sending them off on a road train. House blocks that once sold for $8,000 were fetching $100,000 more.1

The recent difficulty has been seed. Growers have faced shortages of spat, the baby oysters they buy in to grow.1 The peninsula's other oyster bay is covered in the Coffin Bay profile.

Flavor Breakdown

The water
A dry coast with almost no rivers, so the bay is as salty as the Southern Ocean outside it, or saltier. Our scores sit at three for brine, sweetness and minerality.
The bite
Firm, with a short finish. South Australian Pacifics grow in cool, clear water and stay tight in the shell.

What Makes Smoky Bay Unique

A whole oyster town was built in one generation by farmers who had never grown shellfish. The founding families are still in it.1

A firm, salty South Australian Pacific. Order it beside a Coffin Bay oyster to see how much two bays on one peninsula differ.

Should You Add Lemon?

Yes

Takes a squeeze well.

Pairing Guide

1
Clare Valley Riesling

Lime and acid from the same state.

2
Chablis

If you want something stonier.

OptimalPlain or lemon
AcceptableMignonette
AvoidHeavy sauces

Who Is This For?

Will love it
  • People who like firm Pacifics
  • Travelers crossing the Eyre Peninsula
Sources
  1. Neindorf, B. (3 November 2018). "Smoky Bay oyster farmers celebrate 30 years in the aquaculture industry." ABC Rural. abc.net.au
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