Erin Christie photo
Oysters.
The word alone inspires a gamut of responses. Whether they’re raw, baked, smoked, deep-fried or barbecued, Quadra Island oyster farmer Kathy McLaggan of Out Landish Shellfish Guild says one thing is certain – the South Okanagan loves them.
McLaggan is one of five oyster farmers to participate in the Oyster Festival, which ran at various hotels, resorts, restaurants and wineries in Osoyoos and Oliver from April 23 – 27.
The five-day event, now in its third year, drew roughly 40 food, wine, craft beer and oyster vendors to the area. Oliver vendors included Covert Farms, Hester Creek winery, Culmina Estates winery, Tinhorn Creek Vineyards and the Firehall Brewery.
McLaggan has participated since the festival’s inception and attributes its growing popularity to the high level of organization, and of course, to the appeal of the oysters themselves.
“They are the perfect food,” she explained.
“If you’re stranded on a desert island, you can survive for a long time on these. They have all the nutrition you need. They’re also a sustainable food. They’re good for the environment. Think about it, they come in their own packaging!”
Crystal Hansen said she came from Kelowna for the festival after reading about its previous success online.
Hansen attended “Get Shucked” at Spirit Ridge as well as the festival’s signature event, the Art of the Oyster Pearl Gala, which was held at the Watermark Beach Resort.
She said the event was one of the best food and wine events she’s been to and “can’t wait” to come back next year.
“This is just fabulous. I can see it getting bigger and bigger,” she said.
With the festival’s growing success, organizers say they expect the event will draw even more people next year.
“It really saw tremendous growth since last year,” said Brianne Hearle, director of marketing with Destination Osoyoos (DO). “Its success has been really encouraging. We think it has a lot of potential to bring awareness to the area as not just a wine destination, but a culinary destination as well.”
Hearle said Destination Osoyoos’ decision to take over the festival from Walnut Beach Resort, who ran the festival in its two previous years, was an “easy one.”
To help raise the festival’s profile, Destination Osoyoos contracted Claire Sear to co-ordinate this year’s event. Sear, a former editor of British Columbia’s Eat Magazine, and founder of the Canadian Oyster Wine Competition, said she isn’t surprised by the festival’s success.
Zac Charlton and Andy Cook from Oliver were the 2014 winners of the 3rd annual “Suck ’n’ Shuck” competition at the Sage Pub in Osoyoos on April 26. The pair shucked 15 oysters in two minutes. They were one of eight teams to enter this year’s competition, which was held in conjunction with the Osoyoos Oyster Festival.
Erin Christie photo
“Oysters are having their biggest renaissance since the 18th century,” Sear noted. “They’re definitely trending and you can see why; they’re kind of sexy and they’re also a social food. There’s all that slurping and sucking. Everyone ends up having a good time when oysters are involved.”
“Oysters are a hot product,” added Vancouver-based oyster farmer Mark Urwin of 46 Degrees South Fish Co. “And it’s thanks to organizers like the ones who put on festivals like this.”
Urwin, who originally hails from New Zealand, recently relocated to Vancouver from Toronto, Ontario to capitalize on the West Coast trend. The Osoyoos festival was the first oyster festival he has attended in Canada. He said he was impressed and plans to attend next year. So what does Urwin love about oysters? “The taste, first of all, of course,” he told the Chronicle.
“But I also have an appreciation for all the work that goes into farming them. The thing I love most about them though is watching people try them and enjoy them.”
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Erin Christie
Oliver Chronicle
