Like many nautical tales, this one starts with a storm.
In the midst of lashing winds off Cape May, NJ, Henry Miller Terry was tied up and sent overboard by his father to cut the oyster nets loose from the sides of the ship. When he was pulled up again, bloodied and clothing sliced to ribbons by the sharp oyster shells, Terry decided that he’d had enough of his father’s ship, and left to sail his own course. Eventually, he made his way to Willis Wharf on the eastern shore of Virginia, where he founded H.M. Terry Co. in 1903.
Today, H.M. Terry Co., Inc. is in its fourth generation of shellfish farming, and is flourishing with a homegrown blend of tradition, dedication and cutting-edge research with partners at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. They raise over 40 million Sewansecott salt clams and oysters each year from native Virginia brood stock. These shellfish grow and fatten in the pristine waters of Hog Island Bay, surrounding the undeveloped barrier islands of the Virginia Coast Reserve. Nurtured by a six and a half foot tidal flow, the waters are nutrient rich and free from pollutants or chemical run-off. The resulting oysters are meaty and briny with a splash of cream, cupped in unique shells that sometimes have pink or purple streaks.
We’re excited to offer this premium oyster from Virginia and hope Sewansecott carries on for another century. For more information on ordering Sewansecott oysters in the NYC area, give us a call!