Whitstable Oysters

The flats off Whitstable have produced oysters since the Roman period, and the beds were formally managed from the fifteenth century by a company of free fishers and dredgers whose successor still operates. Two kinds are sold: the native flat oyster, Ostrea edulis, which is slow-growing, expensive and in season only when there is an R in the month, roughly September to April, and the Pacific rock oyster, introduced in the 1960s, faster-growing and available year-round. They are sold from shacks on the beach, from the harbour market and in restaurants along the shore, generally opened to order with lemon and nothing else. The Oyster Festival in July includes a landing of oysters and a blessing of the waters. Whitstable's other feature is the beach itself, steep shingle with wooden groynes and painted huts.

What you actually see

• The beach shacks - oysters opened to order on the shingle.
• The two species - seasonal natives and year-round Pacific rock oysters.
• The July festival - a landing ceremony and blessing of the waters.
• The working harbour - dredgers and a fish market on the quay.

When to go

September to April for native oysters at their best; the July festival is the town's biggest week and fills it entirely. Summer weekends bring heavy day-trip traffic from London.

Honest expectations

Natives are considerably more expensive than rock oysters and available only half the year. Raw shellfish carries the usual risks. Whitstable at summer weekends is extremely crowded and parking is difficult, and locals have been vocal about the pressure.

Nearby

Herne Bay lies east; Canterbury is fifteen minutes inland by train.