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Appellation Oysters is a premium grading program designed for the identification and selection of the best quality oysters available on any given day. By selecting and grading our oysters from the 60+ farms in the Australia's Oyster Coast family, we can ensure that only the most exceptional oysters will be awarded Appellation status on that particular day.
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Upon arrival in our Batemans Bay facility, our grading team, lead by our Rock Oyster sommelier, checks the oysters' condition, weight, yield, taste, exterior shell shape and external shell for any over catch across all grades. Prior to grading, the oyster sommelier and his team open a handful of random oysters from each batch to ascertain consistency of condition. Oysters are then washed with fresh water through a custom washer and put across the grading bench.
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They are picked up singularly in order to judge weight, size, shape, depth of cup and an educated decision is made on every oyster whether it meets our standards. At this stage, the various grades are pre-categorised for their possible acceptance into the Appellation program. Should the oysters be determined Appellation worthy, they are sent back through our washers n preparation for the grading tables.
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Commercial production of oysters occurs in over 60 estuaries ranging from the southern border around Eden, to the Tweed River in far north NSW. In NSW alone, there are approximately 2,400 oyster leases, covering a total area of 2,900 hectares. The Rock Oyster is the main species cultivated, accounting for around 80% of all oysters grown in NSW. However, small volumes of the introduced Pacific Oyster have been cultivated in Port Stephens since 1991 and are roughly 20% of NSW's oyster production.
Environmental sustainability forms the foundation of the entire Australia’s Oyster Coast operation, including the Appellation program..
Being endemic to the east coast, Rock Oysters have a light touch on our waterways and estuaries. Not only do oysters play an important function in a marine ecosystem by acting as filters, they also provide a habitat and hiding place for an enormous range of other animals such as worms, snails, sponges, small crabs, fish and oyster spat.
They are picked up singularly in order to judge weight, size, shape, depth of cup and an educated decision is made on every oyster whether it meets our standards. At this stage, the various grades are pre-categorised for their possible acceptance into the Appellation program. Should the oysters be determined Appellation worthy, they are sent back through our washers in preparation for the grading tables.
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Lab Assesments
Retesting
Grading System
Sensory & Condition Qualifications
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