By Faye Mayern via SWNS
The boss of a seafood delicacy business has spoken of his shock after harvesting a ‘monster’ oyster as big as a newborn baby.
Tom Haward said he was fascinated after his company retrieved the huge mollusk, weighing 2.5kg (5.5lbs) along the coast of Mersea Island, Essex.
Haward, 43, estimates the 12 inches long and five inches wide oyster is 20 years old which makes it considered rare as they usually only live for around six years in harvested waters.
The oyster is 1.5 inches (4cm) short of the largest oyster recorded by the Guinness World Records, discovered in Denmark at 13.97 inches long.
Haward, of Richard Haward’s Oysters, said: “My first thought was ‘flipping heck.” We work with oysters all the time and see thousands upon thousands a day.
“But to see one like that, it was fascinating. You could see the growth lines on it, just like a tree. It’s very intriguing.”
Richard Haward’s Oysters, founded in 1769, harvest around a million mollusks a year but Haward said this one was the largest he’d seen.
He said: “We do sell big ones but they don’t usually go beyond being around six years old.
“We can miss oysters, we don’t always get them all, especially looking after 14 acres of oyster beds.
“Finding this one was rare but it was also potluck.
“Some other oystermen may say if you’re a good oysterman, you wouldn’t miss it.
“Some can be left growing as they keep getting missed and then they can end up around 20 years old.
“The fact this one was still growing, so healthy and full of meat is fascinating.”
The father-of-one said he suspects this edible oyster is at least 20 years old but that it would only be sold for around £10.
Richard Haward’s Oysters, who have a Borough Market eatery, sell XL oysters weighing 300g for $5.
Haward said he may put this special find up for auction with any proceeds going as a donation to a lifeboat charity.
The eighth-generation oyster-man joked that the seafood delicacy weighed about the same as his daughter Autumn, now three.
He said: “She weighed about 6lbs, this one was 5.5lbs.
“Autumn loves the sea so she could be the ninth generation of Richard Haward’s Oysters.
“We’ve been doing this for 300 years and it’s still as exciting for us as it was back then.
“We’re thankful for the support with British produce, especially as a small family business stumbling upon discoveries like this.”
