Harvesting the Best Mussels

Just off the coast of Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth, lies the Offshore Shellfish mussel farm, a place where some of the finest mussels in the UK are grown and harvested. Floating on the waves is the harvest boat, the Holly Mai, hard at work tending to the long lines that support these incredible shellfish.

Each of the headline ropes stretches 150 metres just at the surface of the water. Between the rows, there’s a 50-metre gap, which is hard to judge from the boat—imagine an Olympic-sized swimming pool between buoys! Beneath the surface, the mussels grow on ropes that are 2000 metres long! Each of these rope lines has the capacity to produce around 25 tonnes of mussels, making this a truly impressive operation.

What Makes Our Mussels Special?

The key difference between the Lyme Bay mussels we serve in our restaurants and those you’ll typically find in stores is the meat yield. Our mussels hit their peak at around 45% meat yield, compared to the 20-25% you’d normally expect elsewhere. That means you’re getting a plumper, more flavourful mussel, making them a fantastic choice for seafood lovers.

What’s even better? You can actually see the journey from farm to plate. If you're dining in Brixham, you can watch the boats come in, freshly landing the mussels ready for the kitchen. And if you’re in Budleigh, you can see the farm itself, with the lights of the boats working into the evening. It’s a truly sustainable, and local way to enjoy the freshest shellfish possible.

Right now, Offshore Shellfish are supplying around 500 kilos of mussels per week to Rockfish, but there’s plenty of room to grow. With such a strong connection to the sea and a commitment to quality, we’re proud to bring you the very best mussels, straight from our local waters to your plate.