Last year, farms belonging to the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group saw oyster sales rise by almost three times the norm in the week before Christmas, with mussel sales doubling.
Scottish Shellfish is predicting a similar or even bigger increase this year, providing a welcome early Christmas present for Scotland’s hard-working shellfish farmers.
According to Stephen Cameron, managing director of Scottish Shellfish, it is the busiest time of the year for many farms in the group, with it being a race against time to harvest mussels and oysters to meet consumer demand.
“Sales of mussels and oysters have been growing year-on-year and there is always a traditional peak demand in the week before Christmas,” he says.
“This peak occurs over a very short period of time, so it is a frenetic period of activity for our growers as they brave all kinds of weather conditions to harvest their quality shellfish.
“We are finding that consumers are becoming more adventurous in their tastes, with Scottish mussels and oysters making a superb and tasty alternative to more traditional Christmas fare such as smoked salmon and prawn cocktail.
“They are also very healthy being low in calories and fat. They are excellent source of protein, vitamins and Omega-3 oils that help reduce the risk of heart disease. People are also attracted by the fact that Scottish mussels are sustainably grown with virtually no environmental impact.”
Scottish Shellfish – the UK’s premier producer of mussels and oysters - is a co-operative of 19 mussel and oyster farms based on the Scottish West coast and Shetland, supplying fresh and value-added shellfish to multiple and independent retailers and restaurants.
Shellfish Sales Expected To Increase
SCOTLAND, UK - Scottish mussel and oyster growers are preparing for a bumper Christmas with sales predicted to soar as consumers prepare for the festive period.
