2025 oyster season is open – time to get shucking
There’s nothing quite like slurping back a fresh Mahurangi oyster. If you haven’t tried them yet, now’s the perfect time to discover what all the fuss is about because it’s that time of year again!
The Mahurangi oyster season is open. It’s time to get stuck into the freshest, plumpest oysters straight from the pristine Mahurangi Harbour.
From now until December, our oysters are at their absolute best – firm, creamy, and bursting with flavour – and we deliver to your door!
Why colder months make better oysters
Oysters are cold-water creatures. They thrive when temperatures drop. They fatten up and get meaty, briny, sweet and perfectly textured. This makes autumn, winter, and spring the ideal time to indulge.
Raw, grilled, baked, steamed, smoked, bbqed or added to a favourite dish: however you love them, Mahurangi oysters are a seasonal delight. And we’ve got loads of great oyster recipes for you as well as an excellent, easy-to-follow video on how to shuck oysters.
Packed with goodness – and great for the planet
Oysters are more than just a tasty treat. They’re a nutritional powerhouse, loaded with protein, vitamins (especially B12), minerals like zinc and iron, and omega-3 fatty acids. And they come in their own packaging – their shells!
Farmed oysters are also one of the most sustainable seafoods around. They require no feed and actually clean the water as they grow.
Eating Mahurangi oysters is a win for your health and the planet.
Farming smarter, cleaner, better
We recently made some exciting shifts in the way we farm our oysters. One of the biggest changes has been moving from traditional stick and rail systems to flip baskets. We’re proud to say this has been a game changer for both the quality of our oysters and the environment.
- No more walking on the seabed – harvesting now happens entirely from a barge, minimising disruption to marine life.
- We know exactly how many oysters are on the farm, their growth stages, and when they’re ready: better planning and more consistent quality.
- Far less waste – previously, up to 50% were rejected. Now, 95% are good to go straight to market.
- Significantly fewer shells are dropped onto the seabed during harvest.
- We’ve removed over 2,500 treated posts and kilometres of H5-treated rails and sticks, replacing them with recycled materials.
- We’re using spat from breeding programmes focused on improving growth and resilience, including triploid varieties for a consistent year-round supply.
- We’re also experimenting with ways to grow scallops, cockles, and seagrass under the oysters to support marine biodiversity and habitat restoration.
Grading on the water
Another major upgrade is the addition of second-hand pontoons, allowing us to grade oysters directly on the water. This has cut out more than 75% of the travel between our shed and the farm, saving time, fuel, and stress on the oysters. Instead of spending days out of water, they’re now sorted and returned to their baskets on the same day.
We’re working on adding solar panels to the pontoons. We will then be able to switch from noisy generators to a quieter, cleaner, and more sustainable energy source for our graders.
Nature’s packaging made better
Our oysters are sold whole-shell. They arrive alive and can stay that way for up to a week (or longer with proper storage). We don’t use polystyrene to ship these little beauties to you: 90% of our packaging is recyclable.
Oysters delivered fresh to your door
So, if you’re planning a gathering, looking for a treat, or just fancy a taste of something fresh and local, now’s the time.
The Mahurangi oyster season is open, and these oysters are too good to miss.
Mahurangi oysters – naturally better in winter
