By Henry Sutton
In the oyster world the Colchester Native rules supreme. Flatter and rounder than the more common "rock" or "gigas" oyster, they are also sweeter, creamier and much more delicate. They also don’t quite come from Colchester, but the tidal creeks surrounding nearby West Mersea island, where indeed they are said to have been grown since the days of Pliny the Elder.
In fact there’s a lot more to a Colchester Native than that. They are extremely fragile, hence their rarity and price, start the first three and a half years of their life in the deeper waters of the River Blackwater or the Solent, before being re-laid in spring in the tidal creeks around West Mersea for a final six months to a year growth spurt. April is both the end and the beginning of the cycle.
No one knows more about Colchester Natives than seventh-generation farmer Richard Haward, whose exquisite produce can be best sampled (live and with just a squeeze of lemon) at his café and wet fish bar The Company Shed (www.richardhawardsoysters.co.uk), on West Mersea.
With views stretching to the mouth of Thames Estuary it’s a very refreshing spot, in a surprisingly unknown quarter of coastal Essex.
Though don’t miss the Mersea Island Museum (www.west-mersea.co.uk), which excellently explains and exhibits the local activities of not just oyster farmer but also wild-fowling and boat building.
However, Colchester, commonly regarded as oldest town in country, being the first capital of Roman Britain, is very keen to maintain and promote its oyster heritage. The Colchester Oyster Feast, held every October in the baroque splendour of the town’s Moot Hall, is believed to have its origins in the 14th century. Though while the Castle, set in magnificent parkland, and built on the site of a Roman temple, houses an impressive collection of the region’s Romano-British archaeological finds, there is no actual record of Pliny’s accorded remark that the one gift Britain gave to the Roman Empire was Ostrea edulis.