Whitstable

Whitstable for Oysters

On a sunny day in London, who wants to stay in the big smoke when in an hour and 15 minutes by car, you can be at the seaside in Kent? Short notice trip to the seaside? F yeah!

Whitstable is most famous for its oysters, apparently the best in the world, and which have been collected from Whitstable ever since Roman times. Whitstable clearly posses some prime beds - clean sea water + the right balance of minerals washed out to the sea from nearby rivers = great oysters.

Traditional English pebble beach, divided into sections by large wooden breaks known as 'groins'

After a stroll along the beach, we went to the beachfront Whitstable Oyster Company (or Whitstable Oyster Fishery Co. as it is also known), frequented by slebs such as Paul Merton and Janet Street-Porter.

Inside the Whitstable Oyster Company 

We were in Whitstable, there was no way we'd be leaving without eating our fill of oysters. So we ordered 18 Whitstable Native Oysters and we were not disappointed. They arrived on ice, in two batches, with shallot vinegar, lemon and Tabasco sauce. Huge, fresh, juicy and extremely tasty! I couldn't have asked for more. Well, I could've asked for more...but that would've been greedy and there were other seaside delights to sample.

The first dozen

So plump and juicy!

We accompanied the oysters with warm French stick slathered with unsalted butter and a glass of refreshing white wine. 

Oyster shell recycling on the beach outside the restaurant 

Next stop, Herne Bay, via a sneak peak inside Wheelers, where we'll be going next time (for a trip planned at least a week in advance) for a BYOB Company Shed-esque seafood feast.

Whitstable Oyster Company, Horsebridge Road Whitstable CT5 1AF, Tel: 01227 276 856