Opened fresh, Port Stephens oysters need no embellishments.
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There is no better time of year to indulge in a fresh oyster and it is hoped it will not be long until national and international visitors will be able to renew their love of Mid North Coast ocean fare.
If you are a seafood lover, there is plenty to tempt your palate in Port Stephens, with fresh seafood a mainstay of the local economy.
Holberts Oyster Farm's Guy Holbert said the quality of the oysters on offer at the moment was exceptional.
"Their condition is really good at the moment. This time of year, rock oysters are at their best - nice and creamy.
"It is a very good time to eat oysters."
Holberts have been growing and processing oysters in Port Stephens for five generations. It remains a family concern, directed by Bobbie, Guy and Clark Holbert.
At Holbert's, consumers buy direct from the farm gate, which sees through the entire three-year process of creating a premium-grade oyster.
As well as providing oysters for wholesale supermarkets and Sydney eateries, the Holberts run a retail shop on the waterfront at Salamander Bay, which operates seven days a week.
Here fresh oysters are for sale, as well as pre-cooked products in a range of styles including Kilpatrick and some other "wild and wonderful combinations", Mr Holbert said. They also offer fresh prawns and other local seafood products.
Visitors can take the opportunity to look through the large windows at the professional oyster shuckers at work.
With the downturn of international visitors biting, Mr Holbert said the local demand for the product remained strong.
Mr Holbert said Port Stephens locals had always supported the business.
"We always make sure we've got the good stuff right here for them," he said.
"Just natural open rock oysters fly out the door, exactly the same product you would expect to find in a top-end restaurant."
Word of mouth has always driven both locals and visitors to find the shopfront, with some Sydney oyster-lovers known to drive to Port Stephens to stock up and then drive back again.