Lindisfarne oysters: from seabed to Michelin Guide menus

Kleo Tabaku, chef patron at Jesmond restaurant Lovage and Gosforth’s fish and seafood restaurant Osters, travelled to Lindisfarne to visit the oyster beds that produce the celebrated Lindisfarne oysters.

Both of his restaurants feature in the Michelin Guide and serve hundreds of the oysters each week.

Mr Tabaku said: “I’ve prepared and served countless types of oyster, but what makes Lindisfarne Oysters special is how clean they are.

North East chef Kleo Tabaku on Holy Island (Image: Supplied)

“There is rarely any grit or sand in them and they taste superb.

“There really is nothing else like them and now that I have seen where they are raised I can see why they have such a purity of flavour.”

The oysters are farmed on the seabed between Ross Sands and Lindisfarne by Lindisfarne Oysters, a family-run business established in 1989 by current owner Christopher Sutherland’s late father and his wife, Heather.

Mr Sutherland and his wife Helen have run the business since 2004.

Although oyster farming at Lindisfarne dates back to the 14th century, the industry had all but disappeared until it was revived by the Sutherland family.

North East chef Kleo Tabaku visited Lindisfarne to explore the source of its renowned oysters, highlighting the region’s seafood heritage. (Image: Supplied)

Lindisfarne oysters are now regarded among the best in the UK.

Oysters start life in a hatchery and are moved to sea beds near the island once they reach the size of a thumbnail.

They lie in fine mesh bags on trestles, feeding on natural nutrients in the clean, tidal waters of Lindisfarne, and can take up to four years to reach maturity.

Once they reach a certain weight and after a 42-hour purification period, the oysters are packed into chilled boxes and delivered to customers, restaurants and wholesalers across the UK.

Mr Tabaku’s wife Lisa, who manages front of house at their restaurants, said the visit gave them a deeper appreciation for the product.

She said: “Seeing the oysters and how they are cared for throughout the process has been fascinating and I’m really looking forward to sharing what we’ve learned with our customers.”

A supporter of sustainably sourced, non-processed ingredients, Mr Tabaku works with suppliers throughout Newcastle and Northumberland to ensure produce is locally sourced, sustainable and seasonal.

He said: “I come from a farming background myself and I know what care, skill and commitment it takes to rear crops of any kind and I am incredibly grateful to Christopher and Helen for giving me the opportunity to see this.”

While pearls occasionally form in oysters, Mr Sutherland said it is rare for customers to discover them in Lindisfarne oysters.

He said: “We’ve never seen any though as obviously our oysters are closed when they leave us, but a customer in Wales once contacted me to say his oysters had revealed three absolutely perfect pearls.”