Native Whitstable oysters—flat, earthy, and harvested by hand—enjoy protected status and are loved across Britain. In addition to the native Ostrea edulis, visitors can also try the cultivated Crassostrea gigas, a widely farmed European oyster species.
The family-owned Wheelers Oyster Bar, with its pale pink façade, has been serving oysters since 1856. A server brings in a plate of rock oysters along with a bottle of Tabasco sauce and fresh lemon wedges. The off-white shells, tinged with pink, smell faintly of the sea. Inside lies plump, delicate meat. Each bite releases a burst of briny flavour.
“We have native oysters, which are large and succulent—they’re best consumed from September onwards, in months that contain an ‘r’. Cultivated rock oysters are grown on trestles and can be enjoyed even in the summer months,” says Finley Hughes.
Cultivated oysters are available year-round and take centre stage at Whitstable’s annual oyster festival—a lively event that includes the symbolic landing of the oysters, a blessing of the catch, a parade, a shucking contest, and an oyster-eating competition.
Beyond Wheelers, oysters can be enjoyed at several other popular spots: the always-busy Old Neptune, the sea-facing Lobster Shack, the innovative Land + Sea, the third-generation Whitstable Oyster Company Restaurant, the shack-style Forge, and the Harbour Garden Cafe, a US East Coast–style seafood shack.
