Top London chefs visit Carlingford Oysters

Over the course of last Sunday and Monday Carlingford Oysters played host to forty of London's top chefs in collaboration with Bethnal Green Fish Supplies.  Kim Woodward, Executive chef at Clos Maggiore was flying the kite for female chefs at the event.

The event commenced with an early flight from London and a coach transfer from Dublin airport. Attendees were welcomed to Carlingford Oysters' tasting room for a meet and greet, accompanied by a lunch prepared by Conor Woods from The Bay Tree Carlingford. 

The menu included Smoked Haddock Chowder, Crab with Guinness & Treacle Bread, Fresh Carlingford Mussels, and Irish Stew. Notably, one chef praised Conor's Fish Chowder, rating it a remarkable 15 out of 10. 

Emma from Boyne Valley Flavours  provided tastings highlighting the Boyne Valley’s producers, venues and food experiences. Sinead from Dundalk Tourist Office was also present highlighting the Sea Louth initiative as was local Carlingford Tourist Officer, Yvonne Keenan.

After lunch, Kian guided the group through the oyster farm, providing an insightful explanation of the oyster growing process, from seeds to maturity. 

The day concluded with Oyster tasting, Guinness, and desserts in the tasting room, followed by dinner and accommodation at Ballymascanlon Hotel & Golf Resort, with the dinner prepared by Great British menu Northern Ireland winner Raymond McArdle.

The following morning featured a tour of Carlingford Oyster Farm's operations, followed by tea and cake. Michelle from Shell's Driftwood provided personalised keyrings and gifts for each chef. A beautiful prize was awarded to the chef who captured the best Oyster photograph during the trip – congrats to Chef Andrea Pesenti from Luci Restaurant in Covent Garden. 

The seed for Carlingford Oysters started when Kian’s father Peter Louet-Feisser and his wife Anna along with 2 chickens sailed into Carlingford Lough in the late 1960s on a self-built wooden yacht and decided to stay.  

In 1974 Peter was inspired by a BBC Radio 4 broadcast to begin growing oysters and so sowed the seeds of the present day Carlingford Oyster Company. Now in his 80s Peter is still farming and the company has gone from strength to strength under the management of Peter's son Kian and Kian's wife Mary. 

They supply many of the top restaurants in Ireland and the UK and are growing their global market.