Our Oysters:
I only use local oysters, whether they’re gigas or natives, I will not compromise on this. Our oysters have a unique flavour imparted by the climate, geology and vegetation of our local environment. Our oysters have been enjoyed since Roman times, and only if they’re good enough for Caesar, are they good enough for you.
We leave no environmental footprint through transportation nor do we dredge the seabed. Our oysters are left to grow in their own sweet time and they are served to you only when they are completely ready and have been fully purified. I sit on the committee of the Tollesbury & Mersea Native Oyster Fishery, like my father before me, and 6 generations before him, working together to ensure that native oyster beds are maintained and restored for posterity.
Our native oysters, Ostrea edulis, once existed in abundance throughout Britain, Europe and parts of northern Africa. Unfortunately, over fishing and pestilence have wiped out the populations and these wonderful oysters are now a threatened species. They flourish in shallow coastal waters and estuaries, as seen around Mersea and Tollesbury, and will form dense beds where conditions are favourable. Oysters are filter feeders, filtering plankton and detritus from the surrounding water column so they keep our local waters clean, and they form an important part of the eco system.
These oysters are now a protected species, and the Tollesbury & Mersea Native Oyster Fishery are responsible for their well being and restoration in our area. This is why we are only allowed to farm these magnificent molluscs from October through to April, outside of this period they are left alone to allow the oyster larvae to be fertilised and settle. It takes 5 years for a native oyster to reach maturity. This long growth period leads to an intensely flavoured and delicious oyster. This is why native oysters taste better, and are more expensive than gigas.
Because of the length of time that it takes for a native oyster to mature, their scarcity and their sensitive natures, my dad, Richard Haward, introduced gigas oysters, Magallana gigas, from France, into our local environment, where they flourish. These oysters which originate from the Pacific and the coast of Asia are also know as Pacific oysters. They grow quickly and are very robust, because of their fast growing time, they do not have the flavour intensity of our natives, but they still taste delicious. Their introduction pretty much saved our oyster industry, without the income generated by them, we would not have the money to invest into the conservation of our natives nor would be able to enjoy eating oysters all year round.
Both our native and gigas oysters are served raw, but we also serve our gigas oysters grilled with cream and Parmesan, and with mushrooms and Gruyère. We do not commit the sacrilege of cooking our natives.
Our Salmon
Whilst Mersea is abundant in some fish, it lacks in salmon, as both ourselves and our customers love salmon, I do import this rather special Salmonidae. However, I am extremely fussy about where I get it from. There are huge differences in the various sources, from wild Atlantic salmon, which costs an arm and a leg, far too much for me to be able to afford and sell to you, to intensively farmed salmon from pest ridden environments which lack in sunlight and sanitation. We’ve already said that we can’t afford the former, which would be our ideal, so we have had to look for the best alternative, which is farmed salmon but salmon that is farmed under the most stringent of conditions and to the highest environmental and fish husbandry standards.
Our salmon comes from the beautiful lochs of Scotland, it is the freshest healthiest most premium salmon that we can get. Yes, it comes at a cost, but it is well worth it in terms of flavour and texture. We sell it whole, in sides, filleted and in steaks. We also make our own smoked salmon and beetroot gravadlax. Our salmon is of such high quality that it can be eaten raw or as I sometimes serve it as a special in the restaurant, as a ceviche.
When I get the fish, I look at my pre-orders and decide what to do with it. After I have cleaned, filleted it and pin boned it, I keep some raw salmon aside for customers orders, then I smoke some, use some to make hot smoked salmon after I’ve smoked it, and beetroot gravadlax. Salmon is amongst my favourite fish and it gets treated with so much love and respect, however it is served.
The salmon that I am going to smoke goes into the smoker at my mum, Heather Haward’s house, it is smoked using a traditional method with oak smoked chips. We smoke it for around 12 – 18 hours. I am so proud of our smoked salmon it is luxuriant, tender and divinely delicious, there is no comparison between our salmon and what you can buy in the supermarket or at a cash and carry.
I slice the smoked salmon that is going to be served cold in the restaurant, it is a very satisfying job, cutting wafer thin slices from the side of the smoked salmon, the knife goes through it like butter. I also apportion some of it for hot smoked salmon, this salmon is then cooked in the oven for 20 minutes, and then chilled. Our smoked salmon and our hot smoked salmon is sumptuously delicious, it is a huge hit with my friends who take it home with them after visiting me, I sometimes wonder if they would visit, if they didn’t get this delicious treat, only joking, you know who you are. 😉
For my gravadlax, I make a mixture of salt, sugar, beetroot and other herbs, I then coat the side of salmon, wrap it tightly and then let it cure in the fridge for 6 days. It’s a long process, but so worth the end result. Unfortunately, unwrapping it often results in what looks like a bloodbath, woe betide anyone who has to do it, everything get stained in the beetroot juice. However, once all the excess is taken off, we are left with a side of salmon that looks glowing and jewel like, cutting through it is like cutting through butter with a hot knife. It is extraordinarily tasty and rather beautiful to look at.
In addition to all of the above, I sometimes serve specials of cooked salmon, these specials are beloved by both us and our customers, and are immeasurably tasty. All of our salmon dishes take a lot of preparation and we treat this luxury fish with the utmost love and respect for you to enjoy, no supermarket salmon can compare, we are rightly proud of all of the salmon that we serve at the Shed.
WE ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO PREPARE AND SELL OUR OWN SMOKED SALMON AND GRAVADLAX. WE ARE CURRENTLY RESEARCHING METHODS TO FIND A SOLUTION THAT SATISFIES THE FSA. AS SOON AS WE DO, WE WILL RESTART PRODUCTION.
Our Tuna
Our native blue fin tuna, (Thunnus thynnus) disappeared from our shores in the 1960s due to overfishing. Fortunately, one of our favourite fishes started making a comeback in 2014 due to strict monitoring by the EU. The population still hasn’t sufficiently recovered and tuna fishing is still strictly controlled and monitored, and requires special licenses and strict quotas for fishermen. It is far too expensive for me to buy and sell British caught fish at the moment so I buy imported tuna, however if it becomes viable to do so in the future, then this could change.
I buy the highest grade shushi quality tuna, it’s so beautiful in texture and taste that I often eat it raw. I sell tuna steaks and I sell it in the restaurant as tuna steak specials, ceviche and my absolute favourite tuna burger. The tuna burger consists of a tuna steak that has been seared served thyme oil, served in a brioche bun with tomato, cucumber and lettuce with a wasabi mayonnaise. It is sublime, I’ve had customers tell me that it’s the best burger that they have ever had, and I have to agree. I got the idea when I was in New York one time, I went to a restaurant in Hells’ Kitchen and I was blown away. I couldn’t wait to get back to the restaurant and let all of my customers try it.
Our cod, sea bass, skate and mullet
These are all from our local waters and we serve them when they’ve been caught by our local fisherman. We sell them whole and filleted, and we cook them as specials. You can’t get any fresher or more delicious fish and there’s no better place to eat it than in our restaurant next to the waters in which they were caught.