A Festival of Oysters

If you should meander through a small wood at the bottom of Dolphin Boatyard in Galmpton, across a rocky beach with the sun beating on your face and the wind whipping your hair, you’ll stumble across what seems to be humps of mud on the foreshore.

In fact they are oyster beds belonging to Miles Fernandes of Dart oysters. He’s been growing organic and sustainable oysters on the Dart estuary for 18 months.
Miles is an experienced diver and fish farmer who has worked around the world. He has settled in South Devon where he commutes to work on his boat ‘Ratty’. “I love the Dart. Every day I see amazing wildlife. So many birds , and I have regular visits from seals. It is a low impact business – I have my boat and a wheelbarrow!”

The oyster business is growing and he is already supplying local high-end restaurants. “I’ve had really good feedback from chefs. I think these oysters taste so good because of the nutrients in the mud here.’”

The oysters’ life cycle is between 1 and 4 years and each part of the journey is special to Miles – from when they arrive as oyster seeds to being purified and prepared for sale.

I have my boat and a wheelbarrow

When he is asked about the well publicised pollution in the Dart, he reassures his customers that because he grows his oysters so far up the estuary his oysters are exposed to salt water, therefore making them safer to eat. After harvesting, the oysters are purified for 42 hours and undergo rigorous testing to ensure the oysters are perfectly safe and perfectly delicious.

You can sample Dart Oysters at the Albert Inn in Totnes for their Oyster Fest on the 2nd of August 2025. Book a table between 1-9pm and contact the Albert Inn directly on 01803 863 214.

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