No longer an oyster virgin.

In May 2016 my German friend Markus generously gave me two lenses that work with my Nikon camera whilst I was in Karlsruhe. Today I went out in the rain with one of the lenses for a fun photographic walk around Nottingham and enjoyed capturing some of the wet sights around town.

It was much busier than this online picture shows

As it came to lunchtime I decided to go to Loch Fyne on King Street Nottingham to sample some their delicious rope grown mussels and a small bottle of Hoegaarden beer. This 'borrowed' online photo shows the business without customers but it was quite busy for a Monday lunchtime. My visit was a treat to myself as going out for a lunch isn't something I can normally afford to do. The mussels were a calling and the ones I had at Loch Fyne were plump and delicious. I started with a few olives and the mussels came with French fries and two hunks of bread for mopping up the creamy sauce. For a dessert I chose the crème brulee.

After paying for a very enjoyable lunch I asked the waitress (Pearl) if Loch Fyne ever did any oyster tasting for beginners because although I sell them at work I have never actually tried one. She said I could try one for free and so I sat down and enjoyed my very first oyster with Tequila and lime. Thanks very much Loch Fyne!

How did it taste?

Oysters on ice with lime segment and sprig of dill.

Well before I go all eccentric foodie on you in my description (like... well... stables next to the sea on a windy day. Part shoe leather and wet grass and salty skin mixed with nutshells and old browning newspaper) it was none of these things. Thank goodness.

Oysters have a high saline content so naturally there was a not unpleasant salty edge to the chewy and slippery taste experience. Because the oyster (singular) had been anointed in Tequila the liquor was the prominent note. However, eating the oyster I did get a hint of the nutty, sweet, slightly earthy nature of this raw bivalve mollusc. It would be great to go back to Loch Fyne again and try a platter with chopped shallots. I do love mussels and scallops so I may well be developing a bit of a sea food craze here. Oh well, back to the umbrellas in the rain.

Umbrella failure.