Tathra Oysters is one of just six finalists in the prestigious agricultural excellence and innovation award, which recognises the overall financial, social and environmental integrity of the entire production cycle from gate to plate.

For Tathra Oyster’s Gary Rodely the award, which the business won on it’s launch in 2006 for its Sydney rock oysters, is the “most special” of his 30 year career.

“The great thing about the award is a small family business like ours can compete with large exporters,” he said.

“We are veterans and we feel we know what the best oyster looks like, and we’re in a position to know what the judges, the chefs and customers are looking for.”

Visiting judge Ed Halmagyi said the fact the business is helping “invigorate the industry” by selling their genetically selected larvae, sell seasonally, and maintain a shopfront and don’t just sell exclusively to restaurants, sets them apart from others in the industry.

“It would be tempting to send them all off to restaurants, but the shopfront is important to keep contact with the community,” Mr Rodely said.

“Oyster farmers are also constantly being the canaries in the coalmine and making sure the estuaries are healthy, so it’s nice to be part of an industry that is doing public good.”

The business has now been a finalist four times, and is in the running for $10,000 in prize money and the opportunity to run a pop-up stand in the Sydney Royal Easter Show’s most coveted pavilion ‘The Dome’ in 2020. 

“This award doesn’t have an analogy anywhere in Australia,” Mr Halmagyi said.

“What we’re looking to measure is a completely commercially viable company within their business structure and also look at the environmental and social impacts and what they do with innovation.

“We set out to tell the story of these businesses, and how they shine a light forward.”