Oysters have been cultivated in the creeks around Mersea Island since Roman times.
It’s said that the Romans loved osyters so much that they used to tow them in nets behind their boats all the way back to Rome.
For the Romans, oysters were a food staple and a vital resource. Oyster shells had many uses including skin ointments, the making of roads and to mend their baths.
There are two varieties of oyster the Colchester Rock Oyster which is available all year round & live naturally on the seabed. The other is the Colchester Native Oyster which are harvested from September to May in the shallow creeks off Mersea Island.
You can try the oysters for yourself at The Company Shed or West Mersea Oyster Bar in West Mersea.
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