Al Brown: Chef on why he’s not serving bluff oysters at Depot Eatery and Oyster Bar this year

The poor state and decline of seafood is causing celebrity chef Al Brown to take oysters off the menu at his high profile Auckland restaurant. 

Depot Eatery is known for their oysters but a lack of quality in Bluff Oysters has had them culled. 

Al Brown talks to Ryan Bridge about the decision. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Very important topic in Auckland. A high profile Auckland restaurant
has made a shock announcement they're taking bluff oysters off
the menu Depot Eatery, which is well, very high profile
you'll know it owned by celebrity chef Al Brown. He's
citing the poor state and decline of the seafood as
the reason. And he's with me. Now, hi ol, good evening.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
This is bigger than the musk story.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Well, I don't. I don't know about that, but we'll
give it a go.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
We'll give it a go.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
Well, first of all, is this a big to just
put it in context? Is this a big decision? Is
this a big deal? Or is it a sort of
a fine to have no bluff oysters on your menu?

Speaker 2 (00:43):
Oh? Look, we have lots of oysters and so and
the bluff oysters. Of course, it's the caulinary treasure of
the country and I adore them. But we support our
suppliers and Noaho, They've been our oyster supplier for years
and we get our oysters live said to us in
the shell and so over the last few years when

(01:05):
I'm shocking them, I've noticed as well that you know
the quality of them, has dropped quite you know, in
quite a big way. And but when we get the oysters,
we've paid for them, so but we have to open
them to order because they're live. That's we only serve

(01:27):
live seafood or live shell fish. And so you know,
typically with a dozen, you might get you know, four
goodies and you know, maybe four pretty average and then
four runts. And if you're paying eight dollars an oyster
or seven fifty bucks an oyster and I serve those
to you, you're not going to be very happy with that.
But if I throw them in the bin, I'm not

(01:48):
going to be making any money either. So if you know,
I tell her, you know, and they're they're the Kaitiaki
of the or guardianship is a big part of the
the way that the lens that they look at the
more honor and they surpice with oysters. So you know,
I back them up. And because I've seen its firsthand

(02:10):
as well, so I don't know whether it's yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:13):
So this is so for every four eating, we're basically
asy getting the bin getting buffed.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
Well, certainly it's very hard for me to serve oysters
that and I don't know until I open them until
I shuck them what's inside, of course, whereas lots of
restaurants will buy podles of voices which have been graded
and that they've been shucked in bluff and they're in
a plastic poddle and they've been shipped up here and
they'll be buying a grade oysters, so they'll all be good.

(02:41):
So and that's a good thing too, So why don't
you do that secondary oysters? And even Nottahu said, you know,
you know the last two seasons they've stopped halfway through
the season or later in the season to say, shit,
they're just not in good shape. And look, I don't know. Look,
you know, I don't think it's probably over fishing. That
there's lots of things that come into the Banameia that

(03:04):
you know, the parasite is that they say is still there.
You know, it's the climate, is the nutrition in the
water for the for them to to to actually get big.
But you know, we just support support our supply.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
Do you think it will hit your business because as
you said, lots of other people are the businesses will
keep supplying.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
Oh no, I don't think so. You know, we're we're
an oyster bar and we support the aquaculture New Zealand
as well, and there's a lot of hard working farmers
out there, you know, growing amazing oysters all over the country,
and that's what we highlight and and and yep, some
people will be disappointed. Yeah, I love a bluff oyster
as much as the next person. But I think it's

(03:47):
an opportunity when you when you have a restaurant to
you know, you're a window on what's happening out there,
and and just bringing it to the forefront that you
know that the oysters aren't in great shape is something
that's important. And you know, I heard the other day
it seems hard to believe, but evidently the bluff oyster
industry is the only wild oyster industry in the world.

(04:11):
Everything else is farmed. So it's a very very special
thing that we have.

Speaker 1 (04:15):
Al thanks so much for your time. Look forward to
coming back for a meal sometime. Al Brown celebrity chef
owner of Depot E three in Auckland.

Speaker 2 (04:22):
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