Auckland’s first oysters

1st March 2007

Auckland’s first oysters in PAK’nSAVE Sylvia Park and New World Eastridge

The Bluff oyster season opened this morning (1st March) and the first oysters will be on sale in Auckland at PAK’nSAVE Sylvia Park and New World Eastridge (Kohimarama) this afternoon.

New World Eastridge owner Rob Redwood flew down to Invercargill last night and will be bringing the oysters back from Bluff today, and is aiming to have them on sale by about 4.30pm.

Previously it has taken several days for the first shipment of the delicacy to make its way north.

“The theory has always been that the South Islanders like to make sure they get a good feed first before they let any go up north,” says Mark Baker, Foodstuffs (Auckland) General Manager – Retail.

“But we’re speeding up the process by sending a helicopter out to the Foveaux Strait mid-morning and collecting the very first of the oysters already harvested. The helicopter will fly them to Barnes Oysters in Invercargill where they’ll be opened and packed and then we’ll be bringing them back up to Auckland.”

“This is just another example of how we do everything possible to bring the freshest food to our customers. Supply will be limited initially to just PAK’nSAVE Sylvia Park and New World Eastridge – there’s only so many oysters in a baggage allowance, but we expect to be able to supply oysters to all our stores by early next week,” he says.

ENDS

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