Hand-raised using traditional techniques,
they're oysters the way nature intended.
Never heard of a wild oyster? You're not alone. There aren't many wild oysters around anymore. That is unless you happen to live in some of the more remote waterways near Port Royal Sound, South Carolina.
There, naturally occurring wild oyster "seed" is still hand picked from among centuries-old oyster beds, and grown to produce the country's most pristine and delicious oysters.
Beautiful, Natural, Sustainable,
WILD!
Let us tell you about them.
They taste better.
Port Royal Wild Oysters have the crisp, honest, refreshing flavor you only get from true wild oysters. And because the nutrient-rich waters where they grow have a higher salinity than most oyster beds, they have a unique "seasoned" taste that no other oyster has.
In other words, they're the real oyster lover's oyster. Forget the hot sauce, the lemon juice or salsa. Truly great oysters don't need garnishes.
They’re completely natural.
When it comes to seed — the tiny immature oysters that are used for oyster farming — we'd rather pick our own. We never use the lab-grown, GMO seed that has become the industry standard over the last several decades.
When the tides are right, we walk the mud banks along our oyster reefs — which European settlers have farmed for hundreds of years, and which Native Americans harvested for thousands of years before them — and hand-collect the seed oysters that will, some four years down the road, grow into mature, ready-to-eat oysters.
They’re good for the environment.
Port Royal Wild Oysters are farmed naturally and responsibly, using traditional techniques that support our local ecosystem.
In recent decades many states along the East Coast have wiped out their oyster beds, resulting in erosion, declines in water quality and a loss of wildlife habitat. Our farming practices help restore oyster reefs which rejuvenate fish, crustacean and mollusk populations, and keep our environment healthy.
They’re easy to open.
Our oysters grow in clean, nutrient rich waters with high levels of calcium, which means their shells are thicker and more durable than the shells of conventionally raised oysters. When you insert an oyster knife into a Port Royal Wild Oyster, the shell pops open rather than shattering.
Less mess is a nice thing to have. It's also another mark of a real wild oyster.
They're a lot of work
...but worth it.
As you can tell, we put a lot of work into our oysters, but quality takes effort. Where other producers focus on quantity, we take our time and put care into our product — to make sure it's not only the best oyster our customers have ever tasted, but one that's environmentally responsible, in tune with the ecosystem it came from.
We're proud to know our product the way we do. And proud to say that unlike most producers out there, we've had a hand on every single oyster we sell.