Exmouth Mussels Limited has scooped 4 Gold Medals at the recent “Taste of the West” awards for the exceptional quality of their shellfish.
Working from their base on Exmouth Docks this small innovative company has developed unique equipment to farm the fast flowing river Exe. By doing away with dredges and using a self-fluidising elevator, the clams and mussels are teased from their muddy beds without impact on the stone layers beneath. Minimal disturbance and constant re-seeding allows the high density of fish, crabs and sponges that build up on these “underwater rainforests” to be maintained.
After cleaning, grading and 42 hours in the purification tanks all orders are hand finished and packed ready for the chef. Shellfish from Exmouth Mussels can be eaten with the added pleasure of knowing that these totally organic products are being sustainably farmed by people with an equal passion for food and the environment. Having fed all year on the plankton rich waters of the River Exe the mussels are at their finest from about mid-June, remaining in this excellent condition until the spawning season in the Spring.
With a staff of 11 and plans for expansion this small Devon success is a rare good news story in the troubled fishing waters of the South West. For details on price and distribution, please contact the team on 01395 277720.
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Local Issues
The River Exe is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a Special Protection Area, a Special Area of Conservation, a National & Local Nature Reserve and a RAMSAR site! Needless to say, many needs have to be taken into consideration when fishing and farming shellfish in the same area.
Myles Blood Smyth of Exmouth Mussels has been strengthening links between our organisation and Natural England, the Exe Estuary Partnership and the Devon Sea Fisheries Committee over the past few years. This has resulted in commercial and environmental concerns being addressed in a spirit of co-operation, which has been working well for us all. Many people, when viewing our activities, feel concerned that their local environment is being damaged whereas the opposite is often true. This is a highly regulated activity in a very sensitive area and our activities are regularly thought through and discussed with the relevant authority.
A shellfish farm and a shellfish despatch centre, such as the one we have at Exmouth Docks, is bound by operating procedures laid down by the Environmental Health Dept of the EDDC, CEFAS (The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) and the Food Standards Agency. (FSA) The fishing activities are regulated by licencing from DEFRA and by the By-Laws in force on the River Exe which are enforced by Devon Sea Fisheries and the Marine Fishing Agency. We are required to keep records of all shellfish caught, purified and despatched and to help EDDC to maintain the classification of our shellfish beds through constant monitoring of water quality and shellfish samples.
In short, we operate responsibly and in accordance with all procedures laid down in law both on the river and on land.
To see more details of how Exmouth Mussels is contributing to the health of the river please review our "News" section.