Oysters from London fishmongers

What you are buying

On Fish@Hom the line is whatever that fishmonger has on the slab. The shared catalogue currently lists them as native oysters, sold each, shucked to order where the shop does that work. Varieties change with the week. Read the product name on the shop page rather than assuming a species from this guide.

Origin

British and Irish oysters commonly on London counters come from named beds — Mersea, Jersey, Duchy, Carlingford, and others — but we will not print an origin on this page that is not on the ticket in front of the fishmonger. If the shop has written an origin on the product, that is the one that counts. If they have not, ask them, as you would at the stall.

Storage

Keep live oysters cold, cup-side down, covered, not sitting in tap water. Eat them the day they arrive if you can. A live oyster is shut, or shuts when tapped. If it stays open and smells wrong, do not eat it. This is the same advice as buying them in person.

How they are packed

The fishmonger packs the order at the counter. There is no depot tray. Same-day delivery is the cold chain: chilled from the shop, a few kilometres, not an overnight van. Open the bag when it arrives and refrigerate.

Serving

Most of the shops expect you to eat them as they come: cold, with lemon or a shallot vinegar if you keep it. They also grill. We are not going to write a tasting-menu recipe here. If you need a count for a table, order the number on the product page — sold each — from the shop that can reach you.

Who has oysters today

Quantity below is live counter stock. If the list is empty, nobody on the marketplace has them right now. Check the shop anyway — they may have other shellfish.