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ONE of the North East’s most respected seafood chefs has made an Easter pilgrimage towards Holy Island to see where his finest ingredient comes from.
Kleo Tabaku, chef patron of Lovage, at Jesmond and Gosforth fish and seafood restaurant, Osters – both of which retained their listings this year in the acclaimed Michelin Guide – serves several hundred Lindisfarne oysters per week
And he was given the rare opportunity to see the bivalve molluscs at their home on the seabed between Ross Sands and Lindisfarne and learn why the oysters have attracted national acclaim from restaurateurs and customers alike.
Although oysters have been farmed in the waters around Lindisfarne since the late-14th century, the industry had virtually died out when Lindisfarne Oysters was founded by current owner Christopher Sutherland’s late father and his wife, Heather, in 1989.
Now Christoppher and wife Helen – who took over in 2004 – have put Lindisfarne on the culinary map with their oysters widely recognised as among the finest in the country.
The oysters begin life in a hatchery and, when they about the size of a thumbnail, are transferred to the oyster beds – established by the monks of Lindisfarne Priory – in the sea off Lindisfarne.
They lie in fine mesh bags on trestles, under the cool, pure, tidal Lindisfarne water from which they obtain all their nutrients and can take up to four years to reach maturity.
Once they reach a certain weight and after a 42-hour purification period, the oysters are packed into chilled boxes and delivered to customers, restaurants and wholesalers across the UK.
“I’ve prepared and served countless types of oyster,” said Kleo, “but what makes Lindisfarne Oysters special is how clean they are.
“There is rarely any grit or sand in them and they taste superb. There really is nothing else like them and now that I have seen where they are raised I can see why they have such a purity of flavour.”
His wife Lisa, who operates front of house at the restaurants, said “seeing the oysters and how they are cared for throughout the process has been fascinating and I’m really looking forward to sharing what we’ve learned with our customers.”
Kleo is a committed advocate of non-processed ingredients, working with suppliers throughout Newcastle and Northumberland to ensure produce is locally sourced, sustainable and seasonal.
“I come from a farming background myself,” he said, “and I know what care, skill and commitment it takes to rear crops of any kind and I am incredibly grateful to Christopher and Helen for giving me the opportunity to see this.”
And, for those more interested in jewellery than shellfish, Lindisfarne Oysters – like those reared in more exotic waters – have been known to contain pearls.
“We’ve never seen any though as obviously our oysters are closed when they leave us,” said Christopher, “but a customer in Wales once contacted me to say his oysters had revealed three absolutely perfect pearls.”
For more information, or to book a table at Osters or Lovage, visit https://www.osters.co.uk and https://lovagejesmond.co.uk
For more information about Lindisfarne Oysters visit Home – Lindisfarne Oysters