Fresh, superior shellfish, farmed sustainably
Sawmill Bay Shellfish Company is a family-run, Canadian business, owned and managed by Steve and Linda Pocock and family.
We were asked to help make some films for BC Tourism Board, the one below gives you an introduction to how our oysters are farmed:
Freshness
Direct from our farm to your kitchen, our shellfish will be among the freshest you ever taste. Within our local area, shellfish are processed and delivered to your door within 24 hours of being harvested. No holding tanks to take the flavour out of our shellfish!
Superior Quality
We are based in arguably one of the world’s best locations for farming shellfish. The pristine, glacier fed waters have a huge impact on the quality of our shellfish, which are processed in a Canadian Federally Inspected Facility. Our farms are remote from human habitation, ensuring a clean, pollution free environment for our products to grow in.
Our shellfish are farmed using two different methods – each producing a unique tasting product:
Sawmill Bay Beach Oysters
Beach Oysters (Beach Mermaids & DD’s)
Approximately half our oysters are beach oysters – raised and/or finished on our pristine beaches. These feed with the ebb and flow of the tides, spending part of their life out of the water, producing a unqiue taste.
We also grow clams on our beaches, again producing a full, distinctive flavour.
Ever wondered why Beach Oysters taste different to Deep Water Oysters? Have a watch of this video, produced by the BC Tourism Board:
Click here for more details on our beach oysters – Beach Mermaids and DD’s.
Sawmill Bay Deep Water Rafts
Deep Water Oysters (Krosbies/Read Island/Joes Gold)
Our deep water oysters are suspended from rafts in trays, feeding in the nutrient-rich deep waters off Read Island.
We also grow mussels here, which are available in a hand-washed, non-debissed form – recommended for those who like the full fresh flavour of a mussel which has not been damaged or killed by machine cleaning.
Environmentally Friendly Lifting Gantry
Sustainability
All Sawmill Bay shellfish is farmed in an environmentally sustainable and ethical manner. We use a home made lifting gantry to lift stacks of trays out of the water for sorting – an environmentally friendly device, hand operated with a rope pulley.
Our products are approved by the Ocean Wise Programme – further demonstrating our commitment to sustainable farming. We are also approved suppliers for the Pacific Kiss Programme.
Personal, Reliable Service
We strive to provide unequalled service to the food industry at all times. We pride ourselves on the personal service we offer, and are only too happy to answer queries about what sort of oyster is right for you or your clients. You can contact us directly here, or telephone on 1877 512 2724 (Toll Free) or 1250 285 2724.
We look forward to providing you with a top-notch service!