Bluff Oyster Season is Here

Bluff oyster season is now well underway and the festival dedicated to them is a little over a month ahead. “Bluffies” are rightly famed for their exceptional flavour; the rich taste lingers on the tongue and is so evocative of the seaside you can almost hear the gulls – in fact, here at No5 Church lane we’re close enough to the lake and Memorial park that sometimes you actually can hear the gulls.
This year we’re serving our oysters two different ways; natural or baked. Natural comes with finely diced shallots, local olive oil and lemon juice; the oil is Frantoio by Cairnmuir, which has a mild yet mouth-filling flavour that adds an extra dimension while letting the natural flavour of the oyster shine through. Our baked oysters are first coated in breadcrumbs flavoured with a little garlic and our own in-house cured and air-dried boar “prosciutto.” Three months in the making, using wild South Island boar legs, our homemade local ham makes for a unique variation on the classic Oysters Kilpatrick.
So however you like your oysters, drop into No5 for a luxurious treat, best washed down with a cold glass of bubbles!