Summary
Introduction to Whitstable and Oysters
The town of Whitstable, located on the east coast of Kent, has been synonymous with oysters for hundreds of years. In fact, evidence suggests that the Romans in Britain farmed and exported Whitstable oysters to the Imperial Capital 2,000 years ago. The Whitstable Oyster Festival Association reports that 2,000-year-old oyster shells excavated in modern Rome have been traced back to Whitstable.
Whitstable’s pride, the Whitstable Native Oyster, is small, bluish, firm, and possesses a clean taste of the sea. It thrives in the shallow coastal waters of the Thames Estuary where fresh and saltwater mix, providing a plentiful supply of microscopic algae, which oysters consume. The colder the water, the better the oysters; therefore, although the native season begins on September 1, it’s worthwhile to wait until at least October when the native oysters are particularly exceptional, making the hour and 20-minute train journey from London Victoria rewarding. Check National Rail Enquiries for times.
If you are planning to visit Whitstable outside the traditional oyster season (months with an R from September to April), you can still enjoy oysters. Farmed rock oysters are available year-round, alongside a variety of other seafood, including lobsters, landed by local fishermen.
As it happens, the town’s traditional Whitstable Oyster Festival occurs during the off-season for native oysters. Oystermen are far too busy once the season opens, so they celebrate in July, a tradition that dates back to Norman times when local fishermen held a festival and a service of thanksgiving during the closed season for oysters, around the feast day of St. James of Compostella, July 25.
Where to Eat Oysters
The Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company operates several restaurants and a hotel in Whitstable, and its history can be traced back to the late 1700s, with some reports suggesting origins as early as the 1400s. This company claims to be Europe’s oldest surviving commercial enterprise.
The popularity of Whitstable’s native oysters surged for centuries, reaching its peak in the 1850s when the company, then a cooperative of local fishermen and oyster farmers, shipped as many as 80 million oysters a year to London’s Billingsgate Market.
However, disease, war, and changing tastes devastated the town’s oyster fishery in the 1920s. A revival led by the current (private) owners of the Whitstable Oyster Company has made the town’s succulent mollusks a valued and desirable commodity once again.
I visited the company’s Royal Naval Oyster Stores restaurant in September and engaged in conversation at the casual oyster bar with businessmen who had come down from a nearby conference just to enjoy oysters. Located in a charming 18th-century brick building with a venerable beamed ceiling, this restaurant offers an impressive selection of local fish, shellfish, and crustaceans. Outside of the restaurant’s scheduled lunch and dinner hours, guests can savor a beer, a plateful of oysters, and some bread and butter at wooden trestle tables in the bar area. The ambiance may be laid-back and casual, but the oysters are shucked to order right before you, and the sea view (along with the prices) is first-class. Expect straightforward, quality local ingredients, rather than elaborate haute cuisine; indeed, the hand-cut chips were outstanding.
Royal Naval Oyster Stores Essentials
- Address: Royal Native Oyster Stores, Horsebridge, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1BU
- Telephone: +44 (0) 1227 276 856
- Open: Mon-Thurs 12 to 2:30 and 6:30 to 9; Fri all day from noon to 9:30, Sat noon to 9:45, Sunday noon to 8:30. While booking for the oyster bar may not be necessary, it is wise for the restaurant during the native season.
- Prices: Average to high; for instance, in September 2010, a half-dozen native oysters were priced at £16, while rock oysters were £9. Other main courses varied from £12.50 to £28.
- Visit their website
The Last of the Sailing Yawls – “The Favourite”
During the Victorian heyday of Whitstable’s oyster fisheries, at least 150 sailing yawls, sometimes referred to as oyster smacks, harvested the cultivated oyster beds. These vessels were typically manned by a small crew of two or three men and a boy. Built strong with a shallow draft, they were designed to navigate the shallow waters above the beds.
Today, shallow draft sailing craft continue to maneuver around the oyster beds, sharing space on the beach with several small pleasure boats. However, “The Favourite,” referenced in the photo above, harkens back to Whitstable’s Victorian fishery. She was the last of the traditional wooden oyster yawls in Whitstable and remains the only one now in public ownership. Built in 1890, she served as a working vessel until being damaged during WWII in 1944. Presently, she sits surrounded by wildflowers in a narrow garden on a street called Island Wall.
“The Favourite” commemorates Whitstable’s shipbuilding industry, having been hauled up to the garden of Favourite Cottage just a few feet from where she was built. Information on signs in the garden provides insight into the shipwrights and blacksmiths who once constructed Whitstable’s oyster fleet right on the beach.
Follow the story of Whitstable’s oyster yawls and other marine traditions (such as the invention of the diving helmet) at the town’s museum and gallery on Oxford Street in Whitstable. Adult admission is £3; students pay £2, and one child gets in free with each paying adult.
Fisherman’s Huts Are Now Quirky Hideaways
Unlike some English seaside towns that have transformed into mere amusement arcades since the mid-19th century, Whitstable retains the salty charm of a working fishing village.
Though out of fashion for seaside breaks for many years, Whitstable has always boasted a share of independent, small-boat fishermen. Currently, the pebble beach near the town is lined with a diverse assortment of huts, some still used for storing fishing gear, while others serve as small artist studios and galleries, and some have become quirky hideaways for adventurous vacationers.
In an act of resourceful recycling, the owners of the Continental Hotel, who also own the Whitstable Oyster Company, have transformed a group of cockle farmers’ storage sheds into unique ocean view accommodations. These accommodations are available for a minimum stay of two nights. Visit their website to find out more.
