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For two decades, Richard Emans, his family, and their team have been growing some of the UK’s finest oysters in the waters of Goldhanger Creek in Maldon’s Blackwater Estuary in Essex. The river and its flat, untouched marshes are just 50 miles from London.
Maldon Oysters now manage 3,500 acres of the Blackwater, and we are fastidious in our research to ensure sustainable cultivation techniques produce the best quality oysters. The area is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and our ethos is always to work alongside this delicate ecosystem and the beautiful salt marshes that surround the estuary.
Over the past 20 years, we have introduced millions of oysters that we grow and cultivate alongside the native fishery we are re-instating. We’ve also led the market with our innovative approach to depuration by building a state-of-the-art purification and packing facility.
Maldon has long been oyster country. King Henry II granted Maldon the rights to gather oysters from the Blackwater estuary in the twelfth century, and oyster cultivation in this area dates back to the Roman presence here. The oysters from this area, nicknamed Essex Gold, have long been regarded as some the finest in the world, with oystermen telling stories of Romans dragging stores of Essex oysters home behind their ships.
The Maldon Oyster Company was first established in 1962. It was initially a cooperative between local fishermen, an initiative instigated and managed by Clarrie Devall, who was well-known in the industry. Clarrie was then joined by David Coward-Talbot until he retired and Richard Emans took over.
Richard and his family still run the Maldon Oyster Company. He grew up in Maldon and spent much of his childhood on boats and barges in the Blackwater Estuary. When the opportunity to take over the Goldhanger oyster beds came about, he saw it as a fascinating side-line. Now, twenty years later, if you chat with him, he will quickly give away his obsession with what it means to be an oyster fisherman. He is known for his attitude towards progress within the industry and his goals to innovate further within the depuration process to produce the best oysters possible.
Richard and his family still run the Maldon Oyster Company. He grew up in Maldon and spent much of his childhood on boats and barges in the Blackwater Estuary. When the opportunity to take over the Goldhanger oyster beds came about, he saw it as a fascinating side-line. Now, twenty years later, if you chat with him, he will quickly give away his obsession with what it means to be an oyster fisherman. He is known for his attitude towards progress within the industry and his goals to innovate further within the depuration process to produce the best oysters possible.
Chris Hadfield heads up our sales and production team, ably assisted by Waldek Babicz, who keeps everything running smoothly.
With over twenty years of experience between them, you are in good hands. They take pride in driving standards and the company’s culture of blending the latest cultivation techniques with a timeless hands-on approach to growing fine oysters.
It’s a real team effort. Much of the crews’ working day is spent on the oyster beds at Goldhanger, carefully nurturing the oysters in the age-old tradition of generations of oystermen who have gone before.
Ask any of them and they’ll be sure to tell you that they’re happy to alternate their time each day around the tide. They tend the oysters amid the splendour and serenity of the beautiful Blackwater coast at low water and at our state-of-the-art depuration facility, where each oyster is lovingly hand-sorted and packed for you.
Chris Hadfield heads up our sales and production team, ably assisted by Waldek Babicz, who keeps everything running smoothly.
With over twenty years of experience between them, you are in good hands. They take pride in driving standards and the company’s culture of blending the latest cultivation techniques with a timeless hands-on approach to growing fine oysters.
It’s a real team effort. Much of the crews’ working day is spent on the oyster beds at Goldhanger, carefully nurturing the oysters in the age-old tradition of generations of oystermen who have gone before.
Ask any of them and they’ll be sure to tell you that they’re happy to alternate their time each day around the tide. They tend the oysters amid the splendour and serenity of the beautiful Blackwater coast at low water and at our state-of-the-art depuration facility, where each oyster is lovingly hand-sorted and packed for you.
Birchwood Farm,
Cock Clarks,
Chelmsford,
Essex CM3 6RF
