{"id":16940,"date":"2017-10-05T12:02:24","date_gmt":"2017-10-05T12:02:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=16940"},"modified":"2017-10-05T12:06:08","modified_gmt":"2017-10-05T12:06:08","slug":"easterly-oysters-mersea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/easterly-oysters-mersea\/","title":{"rendered":"Easterly Oysters – Mersea"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Mersea<\/a><\/p>\n

A little brief and sunny interlude in my Swedish posts (I STILL have two to go, but they are really\u00a0good<\/em> recommendations for places you must see if you go to Stockholm<\/a>, I promise!).\u00a0 \u00a0I wanted to include a post about our little weekend trip to the most easterly inhabited island of the UK – Mersea.\u00a0 This small estuary island is just a few miles up the road from Colchester in Essex, and only an hour an a half from Cambridge.<\/p>\n

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Boats West Mersea<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I will be the first to tell you that I know very little about this part of the UK (having spent a good chunk of my life in the North and the rest of it in the South), but I do know that like most of England, it’s steeped in history.\u00a0 Colchester was the first Roman capital in Britain, and by all accounts the Romans would visit Mersea as a holiday destination to stuff their faces with oysters.\u00a0 If it was good enough for them….<\/p>\n

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Oyster baskets<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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We had been given the oyster tip off about West Mersea by my brother and sister in law. \u00a0When it comes to advice on places for really good food, you should always listen to these two. \u00a0 The adventures we have been on together<\/a> in years gone by have usually revolved around food, laughter, and typically wine, and I really hope that they still happen when we are extremely old and wrinkly wherever we might all be around the globe…<\/p>\n

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Anyway, back to Mersea – which you get to by driving across the Strood, an ancient causeway that can be cut off by high tides that can typically happen in the Spring. \u00a0 A terrible proposition given that both East and West Mersea are packed full of places for good local food, and boast a few excellent pubs as well (I am going back in the Spring!!)?!<\/p>\n

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Given part of the tip off was about this place, and the fact that it had the biggest queue, we headed for The Company Shed<\/a> first. \u00a0 Started by the Haward family some 30 odd years ago primarily to sell local fish and oysters from the family business (Mr Haward is a 7th generation Mersea Oyster Man), this place has a bit of a reputation thanks to recent glowing reviews from food critics, meaning there can be a wait of around 2 hours for a table. \u00a0There are no reservations – just turn up, put your name on the waiting list, wander off somewhere to buy your own bread, butter and a bottle (3 BYO things to remember!) and head to the beach – like we did!<\/p>\n

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On the way to the shore, we had a bit of a trial “stuffing the toddler into his back pack” session (look at how much has he grown in a year<\/a>?!!) to see whether he would still comply with this for a hiking trip we have coming up. \u00a0Thankfully (until he saw the beach!) he was very comfortable, and over the moon to be perched monkey like high up on his Dad’s back.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Once we let him loose, we then spent a very happy 110 minutes shell inspecting, washed up jelly fish poking, and yelling “nooooooo” countless times as the tiny one headed straight to the often muddy and marshy water’s edge…<\/p>\n

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Shadow chasing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Hungry from all that fresh sea air, it was time for the ten minute walk back to The Company Shed.<\/p>\n

I liked this place.\u00a0 The environment might be quite basic, but the seafood is good and simple as some of the best food often can be.<\/p>\n

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The plump scallops with bacon were excellent, and the family oysters were good as promised. \u00a0 We also had really good grilled prawns with butter, and fat mussels in the shell with a herb butter crust. \u00a0 The Company Shed was packed with groups of friends who all looked like they were having the best time filling their bellies and enjoying each other’s company. \u00a0 My particular favourite table (apart from my own obviously) was the one next to us – a family from Hong Kong who had been waiting to eat here for over twenty years, and it looked like every thing was totally living up to their expectations…<\/p>\n

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When you have been deprived of really good oysters (Munich, as much as I love you, you are a bit land locked – having said that, there are two little places in the Viktualienmarkt where you can find them from time to time!) you can maybe understand us stopping off at the West Mersea Oyster Bar for a few more on the way back to the car.\u00a0 It’s not like we ate 50 each or something, probably 8 each altogether, given that we have to share EVERYTHING food wise nowadays (thankfully the toddler looks like he is fast becoming my fussiest child!), but if you are going to have to order plateful after plateful, The West Mersea Oyster Bar<\/a> is probably your best bet in any event.\u00a0 \u00a0It supplies countless London restaurants, as well as sending a million oysters across the world…<\/p>\n

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The West Mersea Oyster Bar is much bigger than its more famous neighbour so you don’t have to wait for hours, it also has a licence and an additional outdoor seating set up which is perfect for when the sun’s out.\u00a0 \u00a0 Most importantly, their native oysters are excellent and (unlike their neighbour), they also serve the most incredible looking fish and chips!\u00a0 Plus it does children’s portions of everything too (not oysters!)…<\/p>\n

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Later, as we headed back through picture perfect English villages full of pargetted houses so traditional for this area (and with the most amazing ancient names – Little Wigborough, Tolleshunt Knights and Virley Salcott to name but a few!), we all said we would like to go back again and explore a little more of East Mersea next time too.\u00a0 \u00a0I can actually see this area becoming a bit of a family favourite whilst we are in this part of the UK.\u00a0 Oysters, Fish and Chips, a great beach, and beautiful scenery, what more could you want?\u00a0 Put this place on your list if you’re visiting!<\/p>\n

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