1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: Very important topic in Auckland. A high profile Auckland restaurant 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:08,080 Speaker 1: has made a shock announcement they're taking bluff oysters off 3 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:11,639 Speaker 1: the menu Depot Eatery, which is well, very high profile 4 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 1: you'll know it owned by celebrity chef Al Brown. He's 5 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: citing the poor state and decline of the seafood as 6 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: the reason. And he's with me. Now, hi ol, good evening. 7 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:24,440 Speaker 2: This is bigger than the musk story. 8 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: Well, I don't. I don't know about that, but we'll 9 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:31,319 Speaker 1: give it a go. 10 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 2: We'll give it a go. 11 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: Well, first of all, is this a big to just 12 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: put it in context? Is this a big decision? Is 13 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: this a big deal? Or is it a sort of 14 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: a fine to have no bluff oysters on your menu? 15 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 2: Oh? Look, we have lots of oysters and so and 16 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 2: the bluff oysters. Of course, it's the caulinary treasure of 17 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 2: the country and I adore them. But we support our 18 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 2: suppliers and Noaho, They've been our oyster supplier for years 19 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 2: and we get our oysters live said to us in 20 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 2: the shell and so over the last few years when 21 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 2: I'm shocking them, I've noticed as well that you know 22 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 2: the quality of them, has dropped quite you know, in 23 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:20,399 Speaker 2: quite a big way. And but when we get the oysters, 24 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 2: we've paid for them, so but we have to open 25 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 2: them to order because they're live. That's we only serve 26 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 2: live seafood or live shell fish. And so you know, 27 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 2: typically with a dozen, you might get you know, four 28 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:37,520 Speaker 2: goodies and you know, maybe four pretty average and then 29 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 2: four runts. And if you're paying eight dollars an oyster 30 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 2: or seven fifty bucks an oyster and I serve those 31 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 2: to you, you're not going to be very happy with that. 32 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 2: But if I throw them in the bin, I'm not 33 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 2: going to be making any money either. So if you know, 34 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 2: I tell her, you know, and they're they're the Kaitiaki 35 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 2: of the or guardianship is a big part of the 36 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 2: the way that the lens that they look at the 37 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 2: more honor and they surpice with oysters. So you know, 38 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 2: I back them up. And because I've seen its firsthand 39 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 2: as well, so I don't know whether it's yeah. 40 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: So this is so for every four eating, we're basically 41 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 1: asy getting the bin getting buffed. 42 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 2: Well, certainly it's very hard for me to serve oysters 43 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 2: that and I don't know until I open them until 44 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 2: I shuck them what's inside, of course, whereas lots of 45 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 2: restaurants will buy podles of voices which have been graded 46 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 2: and that they've been shucked in bluff and they're in 47 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 2: a plastic poddle and they've been shipped up here and 48 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 2: they'll be buying a grade oysters, so they'll all be good. 49 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:44,399 Speaker 2: So and that's a good thing too, So why don't 50 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 2: you do that secondary oysters? And even Nottahu said, you know, 51 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,799 Speaker 2: you know the last two seasons they've stopped halfway through 52 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 2: the season or later in the season to say, shit, 53 00:02:54,080 --> 00:02:56,839 Speaker 2: they're just not in good shape. And look, I don't know. Look, 54 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 2: you know, I don't think it's probably over fishing. That 55 00:03:01,000 --> 00:03:04,519 Speaker 2: there's lots of things that come into the Banameia that 56 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 2: you know, the parasite is that they say is still there. 57 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:10,760 Speaker 2: You know, it's the climate, is the nutrition in the 58 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 2: water for the for them to to to actually get big. 59 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:18,359 Speaker 2: But you know, we just support support our supply. 60 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: Do you think it will hit your business because as 61 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: you said, lots of other people are the businesses will 62 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: keep supplying. 63 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,639 Speaker 2: Oh no, I don't think so. You know, we're we're 64 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 2: an oyster bar and we support the aquaculture New Zealand 65 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 2: as well, and there's a lot of hard working farmers 66 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 2: out there, you know, growing amazing oysters all over the country, 67 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 2: and that's what we highlight and and and yep, some 68 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 2: people will be disappointed. Yeah, I love a bluff oyster 69 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:47,600 Speaker 2: as much as the next person. But I think it's 70 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 2: an opportunity when you when you have a restaurant to 71 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 2: you know, you're a window on what's happening out there, 72 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 2: and and just bringing it to the forefront that you 73 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 2: know that the oysters aren't in great shape is something 74 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 2: that's important. And you know, I heard the other day 75 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 2: it seems hard to believe, but evidently the bluff oyster 76 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 2: industry is the only wild oyster industry in the world. 77 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 2: Everything else is farmed. So it's a very very special 78 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 2: thing that we have. 79 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: Al thanks so much for your time. Look forward to 80 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: coming back for a meal sometime. Al Brown celebrity chef 81 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 1: owner of Depot E three in Auckland. 82 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 2: For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to 83 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 2: news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow 84 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:30,600 Speaker 2: the podcast on iHeartRadio.