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Welcome to the May edition of the
Penn Cove Shellfish Newsletter!
Well, rumor has it that it's spring time and sunny somewhere in the country, but boy oh boy... it sure has been soggy and not so warm here in the Northwest.
Not to complain though after seeing all the terrible weather others are dealing with in the Midwest and Southeast, our thoughts and prayers go out to them.
The oysters here however are loving the cool temperatures and are all in excellent shape. As seen on our most current oyster evaluation sheet, the meat content on all the oysters has been either a 4 or a 5, or as good as it gets. They are all simply Oysterific right now.
Rawle Jefferds has been doing our in-house weekly oyster evaluations for over 10 years, so that distributors, restaurants and markets across the country can get current conditons of all our oysters. Tides, weather and the season can all factor in the quality of the oysters so it's great to see that if one oyster might be a little off for whatever reason there is always a great option with another oyster.
We always post Rawle's evaluation on our website www.penncoveshellfish.com . If you have questions about our current oyster evalutaion or anything else, feel free to call us at 360-678-4803. |
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Let's talk Clams!! | |
Since we started our newsletter last November, we've spent most of time talking about mussels and oysters but really have not gone into detail about our Manila Clams and what makes them great.
  
What makes them so special? Well first of all it starts with the relationship we have established with our allied growers in the region. Over the years, we have worked with many different clam growers and have narrowed down that list to a very select few that meet our quality criteria and freshness needs. When we bring the freshly harvested clams to Penn Cove, we immediately take them out into the bay and suspend them beneath our "wet storage" rafts next to our wet stored oysters. Since clams grow in the sand of the beaches, by suspending them off the bottom gives the clams the ability to "purge" themselves of any sand and grit in their systems to prevent having your customers having gritty surprises in the clam dishes.
Another advantage to our wet storage system, is that our clams are able to continue to thrive and feed until orders are placed and they are harvested. Like all live shellfish, clams use their fat reserves to sustain themselves while out of the water. Keeping the clams fat and happy also maintains the sweet ocean fresh flavor. Since we deliver our clams in most cases within 24 hours of leaving the water, you and your customers are able to enjoy the clams at their most optimum level and also have a few extra days of shelf life. To find out more, check out our Website Clam Page or call Keith in the office at 360-678-4803. |
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Penn Cove Launches 2 new Boats |
 Earlier this month we completed fabrication and delivery of two new vessels from our fabrication shop. We launched a new state of the art oyster, harvesting vessel for our for our partners at Coast Seafood's. This was the 7th such boat we have built for them which is made specifically for the shallow tidelands of Willapa Bay on the Washington Coast. The 64 ft. "Hilton's Express" only draws 20 inches of water, which gives the oysterman the ability to work longer in the shallow tide flats. And by the way, with the TractorJet drive, this boat absolutely can fly; during sea trials the boat can was doing over 21 knots. Very fast for a boat of this size. Last month we also launched a new 28 foot work skiff for our operations here at Penn Cove. Used by our crews as a water taxi and for hauling gear to the different areas out on our rafts, the boat is equipped with an economical and environmentally friendly 4 stroke Suzuki outboard and a walk up ramp on the bow for beach loading.
Over the past 20 years Penn Cove Shellfish with our fabrication partner, Everest Marine, we have designed and built a fleet of shellfish vessels and harvesting equipment specifically designed for the adversity faced and efficiency required to have a competitive edge in the ever changing world of shellfish farming. If you are in the market for a new vessel or updating any marine equipment we are now offering a design/build and consulting service. For more information email Ian Jefferds at:
ian@penncoveshellfish.com
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Restaurant of the Month -
Front Street Grill - Coupeville, WA |
It is time to give a shout out to one of our favorite, new restaurants where we do business and enjoy dining with as often as possible. Lucky for us it's just right down the street.
Located on the water next to the Coupeville Dock in downtown Coupeville is where you can find the Front Street Grill. Although it's been open for less than a year, it is quickly becoming a favorite for locals and tourists alike. With beautiful views of Penn Cove, Mount Baker and the Cascade Mountains to enjoy, they also have a very tasty menu. It is one on those places that just feels right.
Of course they serve up some great Penn Cove Mussels, Clams and Oysters, but they also do a great job with all of their cuisine. Chef Jeremy really puts a nice spin on all his culinary creations. If we had to recommend one menu item however... It would be the Thai Curry Mussels, they are out of this world good.
If you ever make it to Coupeville we hope you come by the office at Penn Cove Shellfish to say hello, and treat yourself to a great meal at Front Street Grill. To find out more check their Front Street Grill Website. |
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Penn Cove Shellfish Video |  | |
We want to thank our friends in a University of Washington
marketing class for putting together this fun Penn Cove Mussel commercial.
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Oyster of the Month
Deep Bay |
Deep Bay Oysters are plump & sweet with a mild brinyness, a light watermelon finish and clean aftertaste.
Deep Bays are tray raised and then beach hardened fro
m the pristine water off Vancouver Island in British Columbia. They are harvested by the same oyster growers that supply us with the Kusshi and Stellar Bay oysters. This flavorful little oyster is a great value and always delivers a quality
dining experience. |
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Hilton Petite Manila Clams |
These petite sized Manila Clams are one of the premier clams of the region. They are farm raised above the oyster beds of Willapa Bay, on Washington State's rugged Pacific Coast. Petite and sweet, they are perfectly sized for pastas and other dishes, they come to us directly from the farm at a consistent size of 1 ¼" in diameter. |
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