WITH the popular Food Rocks festival still on hold for the time being, Lyme Regis chef and restaurateur Mark Hix and his team have been hard at work putting on an alternative foodie event this year.
Celebrating local food and drink from the Dorset coast, The Hix Oyster Celebration will be a daytime event taking place on the deck of The Oyster & Fish House in Lister Gardens, and the adjoining pitch and putt area, on Saturday, September 3.
A free event to attend, guests are welcome to pop by for their first oyster or stay for a few dozen and enjoy chatting to all the local producers that will be hosting alongside Hix.
Visitors can expect to try a range of fresh local oysters, shucked by the oyster growers themselves, paired to local drinks from Black Cow Vodka, Somerset Distillery, Palmers Brewery and Lyme Bay Winery.
If you’re not a fan of the humble mollusc, there will be seafood tacos on offer from Sally’s Fish Camp. And if you prefer your oysters with a little kick, James McCarthy of Red Panda and East Kitchen will be serving up Asian inspired oyster dishes.
With Lyme Folk Weekend taking place all weekend, the organizers have teamed up with Hix to provide live music throughout the day, taking place at the ‘Oyster Stage’ on the pitch and putt area 12noon, 2pm and 4pm.
Event organizer Jo Harris said: “We used to run this event at one of our London sites pre-pandemic and it was always so much fun for everyone involved, so we thought it was time for a reincarnation of the Oyster Celebration in Dorset. It’s always lovely to share a first-oyster moment with our guests too!”
The event is free to attend but those attending are asked to register their interest online to give organizers an idea of how many people to expect.
Simply buy your tokens on arrival with cash or card and exchange them for food and drink at any of the stands at the event, which runs from 10.30am to 4.30pm. A £1 cash deposit will be required for reusable cups.
The Oyster & Fish House restaurant will be open for lunch as normal on the day.
Win a meal for two at The Oyster & Fish House
HOW are your shucking skills? How many oysters can you shuck against the clock?
Enter the oyster shucking competition and you could win a meal for two at The Oyster & Fish House in Lyme Regis.
There are only ten places available and you must have experience of shucking oysters. You will have two minutes to shuck your oysters – but make sure they are perfectly shucked – the winner will be the one with the most perfectly shucked oysters. The judges’ decision is final!
To enter, send your name and contact details by email to marketing@theoysterandfishhouse.co.uk and tell us why you think you can be our Oyster Opening Champion 2022!
The successful applicants will be contacted by email with instructions for the day.
The winner will receive a voucher for The Oyster & Fish House to the value of £150. No cash alternative, and is valid for one year.
For more details and sample menus, visit theoysterandfishhouse.co.uk
Try your own oyster recipes at home
Black Cow Oyster Mary—Mark Hix
serves 4
Oysters do have a bit of a morning after thing about them and the combo of sliding down an oyster topped with frozen Black Cow bloody Mary is a bit of a sobering thought.
You can make your bloody Mary mix as spicy as you wish and even use it with other raw shellfish like queen scallops or clams.
12 rock oysters, shucked
For the Bloody Mary
30-50ml Black cow vodka or less if you wish
1tbsp Worcestershire sauce if you wish
The juice of ½ lemon
a couple drops of Tabasco, depending on how spicy you like it
200ml tomato juice
Freshly grated horseradish to taste
Celery salt
Mix all of the ingredients together for the Bloody Mary then transfer to a container with a lid and place in the freezer for about 2-3 hours, stirring every so often as its freezing.
Once frozen you can break it up into small crystals with a spoon and return to the freezer until required.
To serve, spoon the frozen Bloody Mary mix over the oysters.
Black Cow Strawberry Spritz
The Black Cow & English Strawberries vodka is the perfect serve for a refreshing spritz.
With no added sugar or sweeteners, it is naturally flavored by the fruit.
Locally sourced, leftover or misshapen English strawberries that would otherwise go to waste are pressed and infused in Black Cow to create a fresh, light vodka with the unmistakable taste of freshly-picked strawberries.
50ml Black Cow & English Strawberries
Topped up with Fevertree Raspberry & Orange Blossom soda
Garnish with a wheel of lemon and a fresh raspberry.
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