Food of love on discount as oysters sell for 25p at supermarket

A supermarket chain is selling oysters - a known romantic stimulant - at the same price of a cod fish finger in the run up to Valentine's day.
Morrisons in Banbury will re-open its garden centre next week.Morrisons in Banbury will re-open its garden centre next week.
Morrisons in Banbury will re-open its garden centre next week.

Morrisons is to sell the shellfish, which retail for around £5 in Harrods, for just 25p each, up until February 14.

The supermarket is launching the scheme to tie in with Valentine’s Day on Sunday and because it claims research has identified nearly two thirds of Brits have never eaten an oyster, even though 2,300 tonnes will be harvested in Britain this year.

Oysters are known as an aphrodisiac and contain amino acids that trigger the production of sex hormones.

Morrisons says its is expected the product - sold in packs of six - will be “bought by couples wishing to prepare a romantic dinner for a night in.”

The chain store’s research revealed that 25 per cent of people they asked said they’d never tried an oyster due to the perceived ‘expensive’ price. Also, 44 per cent of respondents said they didn’t want to waste money on something they may not like, while a fifth of people thought they’d never shopped anywhere that sold them.

Currently 50 percent of Britain’s oyster harvest is now exported to the continent every 12 months.

The perceived romantic qualities of the oyster stretch back into history, and in the 18th Century legend has it that adventurer and lothario Giacomo Casanova consumed more than 50 of them day.

Serving suggestions:

Oysters have tender and smooth meat with a unique delicate flavour of the sea.

They go well with Champagne, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat and Chardonnay wines, plus stout, IPA or lager.

Always cook your oyster before eating it. Oysters can be grilled, poached, baked, deep fried tempura-style or even added to pies or pasta. Classic oyster recipes include:

Angels on horseback: shuck the oyster, wrap in streaky bacon, secure with a cocktail stick and bake in the oven.

Oysters Rockefeller: shuck the oyster, spoon diced onion, spinach and parsley (cooked in butter) on top of the open oyster, top with breadcrumbs, then bake.

How to prepare an oyster:

Begin at your sink. Clean your oysters thoroughly under cold running water.

Get a teatowel. Wrap it completely around one hand and use this hand to firmly hold the oyster.

Get a shucking knife. Put it in the other hand. Put the knife’s tip at the base of the oyster shell hinge and use pressure to twist the knife. Then move the knife upwards to prise the shell open.

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