New local oyster to hit the market

The Broken Bay Pearl Farm is about to release a new seafood delicacy onto the Australian market.

A native species of pearl oyster has been quietly growing some of the world’s finest Akoya pearls for the past 20 years in the waters of the Central Coast.

And now the Broken Bay Akoya pearl oyster is about to hit the market.

With its NSW operations at the Broken Bay pearl farm, Pearls of Australia is all about creating immersive customer experiences.

It presents a new pearling business model which incorporates tourism, education, and now – taste experiences.

It is the final pieces of a plan that has taken five years to develop, and suffered a major setback three years ago when the Hawkesbury River suffered catastrophic flooding and freshwater pollution which decimated the Akoya pearl oysters at the time.

The Broken Bay Pearl Farm has bounced back and is now ready to introduce Akoya pearl oysters to the seafood and restaurant industry.

Broken Bay Pearl Farm operates in the waters of both the Brisbane Water and the lower Hawkesbury River.

Farming of Broken Bay Akoyas is underway but supply will be very limited initially as Broken Bay Pearl Farm works towards rapid expansion to meet a predicted uptake in demand.

The company’s operational headquarters at Mooney Mooney – the Shellar Door – is already open to the public for an array of pearling experiences.

The Broken Bay Akoya can be eaten raw and whole.

With a flavour profile all of its own, it has been described as stronger than the very subtle Pearl Meat (from Broome), expressing the more typical briny flavours from the sea that oysters are famous for.

Broken Bay Akoya will be farmed separately for pearls and seafood.

Company owner James Brown is a third-generation pearl farmer who places extremely high value on sustainability and authenticity.

“Oyster farming is now widely recognised as not just sustainable but truly regenerative in its effect on the surrounding environment and our pearl oyster farming is just an extension of that,” he said.

“This will allow us to continue to grow our NSW pearl farms, contributing positive restorative ecosystem services to the surrounding marine environment, and new jobs to the area.”

Early signs from industry are very encouraging with an influx of businesses expressing their interest to be among the first to serve the local native edible oyster.

Broken Bay Pearl Farm will work with a select number of established restaurants and acclaimed chefs who share the excitement to have an entirely new seafood product on their menus.

The first restaurant to serve the Akoya pearl oyster is Saddles at Mt White, where Head Chef Kodi Southgate has been creating new dishes for the restaurant which accentuate the taste and texture of the new delicacy.

“It’s exciting to work with the Akoya pearl oyster, which is a relatively new food item in NSW, and lucky for us – found locally,” he said.

“The Akoya has a rather intriguing taste, with the creamy finish of a Sydney Rock oyster but a texture more like a mussel, so you basically get the best of both worlds when consuming this oyster.”