Ahead of the Stranraer Oyster Festival, go behind the scenes of the Scran food and drink podcast with Ros and Kelly.
Watch how oysters are farmed and deliciously served within an hour of being caught.
Watch how oysters are farmed and deliciously served within an hour of being caught.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00 Hi, it's Ros from the Scram Podcast. I'm here in Stranraer and I'm about to go out on the
00:08 boat, the Vital Spark, because it's the start of the Loughrien oyster season and they are
00:12 the only native oysters to the UK. So we're going out with Rab and his crew to harvest
00:17 some oysters, find out what it is they do, how long they've been doing it, how you harvest
00:21 oysters, more about the fishing of them and we're going to talk about the Oyster Festival
00:25 as well, which is in a couple of weeks. So, let's go!
00:32 Hi Rab.
00:33 You alright?
00:34 Good, yeah. So we are going to go out with you to harvest some oysters.
00:38 We're going out to catch some oysters today.
00:41 So we're working for our money.
00:42 You're working for, definitely working for your wages today.
00:43 So why are they different to, is this?
00:44 See, London buys top dollar, so they want oysters and basically, you know.
00:45 Look pretty?
00:46 No, they look the same.
00:47 If you're paying £7 each, you want four oysters that look basically identical. So you can't
01:02 get them like three small, they all kind of look the same. Because they're the ones that
01:07 pay the money. Us poor Scottish folk, we just catch them.
01:12 So these ones will go off to some bay?
01:14 They'll go to London. See, Matt Boris gave money to regenerate oyster beds and all that,
01:22 so we supply them. So we give them the yin's of London, Disney London.
01:31 So if you say, so you should only really be eating oysters in the season then?
01:34 In season aye. It's to save them because if no human nets, people's greedy, you would
01:39 fish them all year round. They breed in the summer. So if you leave them alone in the
01:44 summer to breed, you've got a better chance of getting more oysters in the end. But that's
01:49 a European law you see. But it's a good law. If no people would just keep going until there's
01:54 nothing left. And a nice day, it's a great job. And a horrible day, it's the worst job
01:58 in the world. Just keep going, as long as London want them, we fish them. I mean, obviously
02:03 like the Covid and all that is stopped, we just shut down. Because you need the restaurants,
02:08 there's no something, people don't order them for a home. If you want oysters, you can go
02:12 into a restaurant or an oyster bar to get them. There's no something you get sent to
02:16 your house and you eat a couple. But they're good for you.
02:18 Oh yeah, would the oysters have benefited from missing a season in two because of Covid?
02:24 Because it's a big vast area we fish in, you'll no really know for a few years until you go
02:28 on into bits. Because we've got a computer in there that shows us while we're fishing
02:32 and while we relay. So we just kind of move around a vast area, so you'll no kind of know.
02:38 It's definitely no done any harm.
02:41 We were joined by Alan Jenkins from the Stranraer Development Trust. The Trust was set up to
02:46 tackle the downturn in the town and now organises the Stranraer Oyster Festival.
02:51 So it started with a chance conversation of the unique heritage in Loch Rhyne, which is
02:58 that it's the last remaining wild and native oyster bed. And decided that it was a kind
03:02 of USP for the town that we could do some sort of celebration and try and attract more
03:07 people and give the town a bigger platform. It's grown from 2017 where we welcomed 10,000
03:13 visitors over the three days and celebrate our town, which was something we're very,
03:17 very proud of. So we think we've captured something here that's grasped people's imagination
03:23 and people are enjoying it and will endeavour to keep producing a wonderful festival for
03:28 many years to come.
03:29 And what kind of things can people expect? I know you've got some kind of chef demonstrations
03:33 and that type of thing.
03:34 Yeah, so on our site we play host to four themed marquees. So we have a market marquee
03:40 where we have traders from all over the region and Scotland selling arts, craft, food, drink,
03:46 etc. Then we have our kitchen marquee where we have our theatre kitchen and we have our
03:50 celebrity chefs and of course our local chefs putting on some fantastic cooking demonstrations.
03:55 We also have a number of unique events and audience with type events, which is a bit
04:00 more of a Q&A with Prosecco and canopies and it's always well received by the visitors.
04:08 A licensed bar, people would be pleased to know. An oyster and Prosecco cafe type area
04:14 and also the Scottish Oyster Shipping Championship. So lots going on, lots for people to enjoy
04:19 and we're hoping for another successful event.
04:23 After talking to Alan, Rab had taken us into the middle of the loch to show us how to dredge
04:27 for oysters.
04:28 Reminds me of that bit on Jaws. On.
04:35 Oh no, here we go. Tell us how it's looking Rab.
05:04 It looks like every other dredge.
05:11 Is this a good haul or is it average?
05:22 Well it all depends on what you get out for London. You can hear that here in London.
05:26 Wow.
05:27 They only grow 10 grams a year, so that could be 30 year old.
05:33 Wow, but it's too big.
05:35 Too big, it's no use.
05:37 Put it back in.
05:38 Put it back in and lay it.
05:39 I mean look, it's getting stuck to it, so if you lay it back in there, it'll stick to
05:42 it. So even though it's no use to you, it might get 20 stuck to it, but it can be useful
05:46 to you.
05:47 When we went with the dredge on the table, there's all different sizes, right from a
05:52 year old to 20 year old. So we just take it, which is roughly, they grow 10 grams a year,
05:58 the London ones between 8 and 12 year old. So we just take them out, which is only about
06:03 5-6% of what's on the table, and the rest we put back into a bed. Because the big ones
06:09 are out, we go back maybe 5 years later, and then all these smaller ones at that time are
06:14 now this size. Because they don't grow very quickly in Scotland. The warmer the weather,
06:19 the quicker they grow. It's bloody freezing here. So they take 10 grams a year, but in
06:24 Australia, they'll grow, 3 years they'll grow to full size. So in other words, I should
06:31 be working in Australia.
06:32 I think we all should.
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08:05 We've just gone to the local restaurant and harvested some oysters, found out more about
08:08 the Oyster Festival, and had a little look to see what else comes up when oysters are
08:12 harvested. We are now going to a local restaurant where a local chef is going to cook some oysters
08:17 for us, and we're going to try them.
08:19 Hello.
08:25 Hello.
08:26 Here's your oysters.
08:27 Thank you very much. Nice to meet you.
08:28 So we've got 24 freshly caught oysters, and we're looking forward to trying them.
08:32 Yeah.
08:33 Maybe not all of them.
08:34 These look good.
08:35 These are the best.
08:37 The Ocrane oysters, they're nice and creamy inside.
08:40 They are superb quality, and 1st of September, season starts today.
08:46 Thank you.
08:47 We've got them here.
08:57 I need to give them a rinse first, get the sand off them.
09:02 Put them in the pan, and I'll open a few for you.
09:06 And do you find people who come here, do they understand how hard it is to get these in Scotland?
09:12 Do they know about the story?
09:14 In Stranraer, the Locrane oysters are pretty famous.
09:17 Right.
09:18 And the oyster eaters do appreciate this.
09:20 They know the story, they know the life cycles.
09:23 And do you have people come in here specifically for them?
09:26 We have people that do phone up, and they'll book it once they know we have the Locrane oysters.
09:32 When Locrane oysters are out of season, we use other oysters that they don't sell as well.
09:36 Nowhere near it.
09:37 So can you tell us a bit about the flavour and why you think it's different?
09:40 Well, I'll open one.
09:42 They're a lovely, creamy oyster.
09:45 They've had their time to rest, whatever they do up there in the Loch,
09:49 while the fishermen leave them alone.
09:51 And they are unique flavours.
09:54 Well, that's exciting.
09:56 Also, I find how you opened them really interesting, because I couldn't do this.
10:00 I've actually took the point off.
10:02 So we just push in gently.
10:04 Just in a wee bit.
10:08 Twist.
10:09 And remove that membrane in there.
10:12 And open up the combs.
10:13 These are really good.
10:14 These are the best.
10:17 This is all nice and the colour looks lovely.
10:21 We just scoop it off there.
10:23 Turn it over for presentation.
10:26 Is that an oyster pearl? No, it's not.
10:30 That's it.
10:31 I don't know, how big would you say that was?
10:34 It's just a mouthful.
10:35 I mean, it looks like...
10:37 I don't know.
10:38 Definitely had smaller oysters.
10:39 So do you find people take them as a shot, or can you chew them?
10:43 A lot of people just swallow that over.
10:45 And then, a lot of people...
10:48 Much, much...
10:49 The best thing is to chew it.
10:50 It's full of flavour.
10:51 These are actually full of zinc.
10:53 This should be giving us a prescription.
10:56 It's so good for you.
10:58 It's so good for you.
10:59 Okay, so do we go?
11:02 Do you want me to eat it?
11:04 Yeah.
11:05 Just in case you need to.
11:06 Thank you.
11:07 Probably.
11:08 And what just like...
11:09 It's a different...
11:10 You can actually just put cracked pepper on there, which we've got, and Tabasco.
11:13 But also, you're right, the shape is totally different.
11:15 The shell's totally different, because the other ones, it slides off the shell like a shoe.
11:18 It's pointed.
11:19 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
11:20 Well noticed.
11:21 These are different.
11:23 Okay.
11:24 There'll be 3,000 of them soon.
11:25 [slurps]
11:26 It tastes really fresh.
11:31 It tastes like the sea, like what Rab says.
11:33 Well, if it's the first time, obviously, for you.
11:35 Well, yeah, for trying them, yeah.
11:37 But you will see a difference when I cook them.
11:39 I'll eat them cooked.
11:41 I used to love these, but I've just...
11:43 Over time.
11:44 Can you eat too many?
11:45 No, you couldn't.
11:46 Definitely not.
11:47 You'll just feel full after a dozen.
11:49 Some people do eat a dozen.
11:51 Good luck to them.
11:52 Will you be entering the oyster eating competition at the Oyster Festival?
11:55 No, unfortunately I won't be, but I recommend you should.
11:58 No, I don't think I could do it.
12:01 Eat oysters at a pint of Guinness, and that's you've won.
12:05 I was saying, we're talking about it on the boat,
12:07 somebody put the oysters in the Guinness and then downed that.
12:09 Yep.
12:10 Imagine putting cracked eggs into it.
12:13 So can you tell us how you're going to cook them?
12:16 Because we're going to be tasting them once you're finished.
12:18 Yes, for you, what I'll do, I'll open them again.
12:21 I'll just pat them dry on a towel, season them,
12:24 and I've got a very, very light, thin batter.
12:26 And we'll deep fry them for about 30 seconds.
12:29 And we'll serve them on a plate with maybe chive mayonnaise,
12:33 and you'll get your Tabasco, and then you'll see the difference.
12:36 Big, huge difference between cold and hot.
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14:09 So, natural, these are the best,
14:13 and these are exactly the same, and this is very thin batter
14:16 with lemon juice and a bit of local ale in the batter,
14:20 and I made mayonnaise with some chives,
14:23 and you've got the same as well.
14:26 Nice.
14:27 How's that? Worth trying?
14:28 Perfect.
14:29 Everyone stares at you.
14:43 That's really nice.
14:46 It's still got some of the flavour that you get from the fresh ones,
14:49 but the batter's really nice, and it's not a strong flavour,
14:53 so if you're not so keen on a strong kind of seafood flavour,
14:57 then definitely have them cooked.
14:59 Thank you for the lovely oysters, they were delicious.
15:02 You're very welcome. You'd really enjoyed them?
15:04 Really enjoyed them, yeah.
15:06 And it was really nice to try them, because like I say,
15:08 I've never tried them before, and the flavour is a little bit different,
15:11 but it was nice to try them both hot and cold.
15:13 So how long have you been cooking with these oysters?
15:16 Well, we've been here nine years,
15:18 so that's how long we've been using the Loch Rhine oysters anyway.
15:22 They're very, very popular. They're seriously popular during the winter.
15:26 And the Stranra oyster festival, how long have you been involved in that?
15:32 Thankfully we just have a small part, we have a big stall,
15:34 and we take the full kitchen down,
15:37 and we did a giant bi-year list,
15:39 a metre pan wide, one pan will feed about 100 people.
15:43 And it's full of monk fish, the prawns, the longest eels we get here,
15:48 and also obviously a lot of oysters and a lot of mussels.
15:52 It's huge and it's a big attraction.
15:55 Do you find that the oyster festival brings people back after the festival?
15:59 Well, to be honest, I see people here that book for the week ahead,
16:04 so they have the base, the oyster festival, around for the whole holiday,
16:07 so they'll come on the Monday and they'll stay till the following Monday.
16:10 Well, best of luck with the festival and I'll make sure and try the paella.
16:13 Well, I hope to see you. I'll give you a free paella from Henry's Bay House.
16:18 Thank you very much.
16:20 Thanks for watching this behind the scenes video of Scram! Podcast.
16:24 We're off to Uist next to talk to some producers up there,
16:27 which I'm really excited about.
16:29 This podcast will be out on Friday,
16:31 and the Stranra oyster festival kicks off on the 15th of September.
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