Chris Andraza is no slouch when it comes to shucking oysters. The talented Red Seal chef carefully pokes each shell, coaxing it to yield its velvety flesh before squeezing a pair of tongs and swiftly removing the slimy delicacy.
Welcome to Vancouver’s Fanny Bay Oyster Bar: a true tide-to-table seafood restaurant and shellfish market that has its roots deeply embedded in the local shellfish industry.
Taylor Shellfish Farms CEO Bill Taylor’s great-great grandfather began oyster farming in Washington way back in 1890. “In the late 1980s, we began to expand the company by buying shellfish farms across the Pacific Northwest, Bill explains. "In 2007, we bought Fanny Bay Oysters in B.C.” Over the years, the Vancouver Island-based sustainable shellfish farming company has expanded its line of products to include geoduck, mussels and a variety of half-shell oysters.
In 2011, the fourth generation shellfish farmer opened three Taylor Shellfish Farms Oyster Bars in the Seattle area; these upscale, casual eateries focused on serving the Pacific Northwest's best shellfish. All the while, Bill had his eye on expanding into the Vancouver market. “I love Vancouver, so I started looking around for a site that would be a great location.”
