Three Great Taste stars for Millbay Oysters
Millbay Oysters, part of Rooney Fish in Kilkeel, has won three stars again for its
worldclass oysters in Great Taste 2025.
Run by managing director Andrew Rooney, Millbay Oysters, a FoodNI member,
grows oysters on extensive farms in the pristine waters of Carlingford Lough.
It’s the second time that Millbay has been awarded three stars in Great Taste.
The family business, Kilkeel’s biggest seafood company, won three stars in
2021 and has also won the top award at Blas na hEireann.
Oysters harvested by Andrew and his team at Millbay are now prized by five-
star restaurants and high-end hotels especially in France and China. Their
success has resulted in Northern Ireland winning international recognition for
premium oysters, a food not previously associated with Northern Ireland in
global gastronomic circles.
Growth in Millbay exports has been promoted by the verdicts of food experts
who acclaimed the oysters as Ireland’s best in the Blas na hEireann, the Irish
National Food Awards, and by the coveted three stars in the UK Great Taste
Awards.
The unique oysters were described by food experts in Great Taste Awards as
“large succulent oysters” and “a great oyster” with a ”joyous sweetness that’s
like diving into the Pacific Ocean”. Other plaudits included “exquisite”, and
“absolutely breathtaking”.
Millbay oysters are exported across Europe and as far as China.
Oyster farming techniques at Millbay are focusing on maximising meat content.
Andrew says: “Our meat yield is generally 22 percent, which is greater than
most of our competitors. Existing and potential customers are increasingly
recognising this quality. As result, demand for the oysters especially in China is
extremely strong,” he adds.
He has a wealth of experience in exporting seafood from his role at Rooney
Fish, established by father John and mother Rosemary in 1975. Andrew now
runs both successful businesses.
Andrew established the oyster farm in 2014 as an extension to his role with
Rooney Fish and especially his focus on growing sales of fish and shellfish
abroad in highly competitive markets such as China, Japan and South Korea.
The business has also been focused on processing whole langoustines, Dublin
Bay prawns, frozen and cooked for retailers particularly in France.
Rooney Fish is also now the second biggest exporter of brown crab meat to
China. Products also appear in Tokyo’s famed sushi bars. Kilkeel whelks are
loved in South Korea.
The oyster farm marked a further diversification of the business into the fast-
growing aquaculture sector, an opportunity the company had identified during
export trips. Carlingford Lough was the perfect location because of its pristine
waters. The farm covers around 36 acres and is already one of the biggest on
the island.
