Welcome to XL Oysters Port Stephens
XL Oysters is a six-decade family run aquaculture farm.
Our oysters are grown in the pristine inlets and estuaries of Lemon Tree Passage in Port Stephens, NSW. These waterways are a biological wonderland and we intuitively know how they move and fluctuate with the seasons, tides and weather patterns.
It is because of this local knowledge, a solid understanding of the scientific fundamentals of aquaculture and combined with a commitment to
continually be at the forefront of technological advances, that our Sydney Rock Oysters are graded premium.
Our farmers’ feel a sense of stewardship over protecting our estuarine environment and are active members on a number of NSW shellfish water quality management boards.
Test
A bit about us
XL Oysters is a family owned Oyster farm that was started In 1956 by dutch immigrant and Oyster enthusiast Adrian Salm.
It’s a story of entrepreneurial spirit, strong work ethic and respect for the Worimi people – the traditional custodians of Lemon Tree Passage. Today Adrian’s family carry on the tradition of producing some of the finest Sydney Rock Oysters in Port Stephens and Australia.
Our Farm
Our land base is located in Lemon Tree Passage and we farm our oysters in leases throughout Port Stephens.
The process of shellfish aquaculture takes at least two years to harvest from seed to market size. XL Oysters acquires juvenile single-seed Sydney Rock Oysters from a hatchery, that are slightly older than the minuscule spats but still measured in millimetres. Buying a slightly larger seed of 10ml means the oysters have a greater chance of survival.
These juveniles are then grown in intertidal trays followed by floating bags and are regularly manually brought back ashore to sort and tumble to encourage rounder growth, deeper cups and more marketable looking oysters. This dual process means they remain in the water for their entire growth so the shell gets harder and matures earlier reaching about 70ml in size.
Being an oyster farmer involves a lot of physical work in all environmental conditions, but when your office is the water the work is very rewarding.
