Summary (by AI): My trip to the enchanting, "old-world" West Mersea Port led to the unexpected and delightful discovery of incredibly cheap, premium Richard Haward Oysters.
Blog: Essex is famous for Maldon Sea Salt but I couldn’t actually find a place during my research that would let me see the salt flats or the factory in action. I’m sure there’s something there—Maldon is a lovely town, after all, and it’s such an iconic product—but for this trip, I ended up defaulting to the second most famous thing to come out of the county: the oysters.
These famous Essex oysters come predominantly from the Thames Estuary. It’s a fascinating bit of geography; if you look across to the other side of the water, you’ll find Kent and their equally famous Whitstable oysters. There’s a clear synergy there.
I headed for Mersea Island, which is an interesting spot. I drove through the town of West Mersea, which has a mix of older and more modern areas, but the West Mersea Port is the real gem. It’s an enchanting throwback in time—a genuine, "old-world" working seaport. You’ll find rows of tiny fisherman’s cottages all cramped together, many of them budding right up to the sea. It looks like quite a few have been converted into Airbnbs, which made me think a return trip might be in order. The whole place is packed with sailing, boating, and fishing infrastructure.
I was originally heading for a specific restaurant I’d scouted for oysters, but I had a sudden change of plan. As I was walking along, I passed a shack and saw the name: Richard Haward Oysters.
I did a quick search and realized these were premium oysters—the kind that get sent up to London for all the "top boys," the celebrity chefs, and the high-end restaurants. I poked my head around the corner and found two lovely ladies surrounded by oysters in a small workshop. I asked if I could buy a dozen.
"How much?" I asked.
"A tenner," they said.
I couldn't believe it. Ten pounds for a dozen premium oysters is incredibly cheap. They packaged them up beautifully—honestly, the packaging itself looked like it cost ten pounds. I paid them in cash, and I'm fairly certain it went straight into a back pocket. Don’t tell anyone!
I kept hold of them until I got home and had them alongside an Oyster Stout, which was fantastic. I even experimented by making "deviled oysters," grilling them with a bit of garlic and cheese. They were gorgeous. I’ve definitely discovered a new favorite way of cooking them.
The trip also served as a firm reminder of something I already knew: my wife does not like oysters. That meant I had to finish all twelve myself. It was probably a few too many, but for Richard Haward oysters at that price, I wasn't going to let a single one go to waste.
The Map: