Bobby Groves is the Head of Oysters at London restaurant Chiltern Firehouse. Born in Maldon, Essex, Bobby began working at his local oyster farm, Maldon Oysters, in 2006, cultivating, delivering and exporting shellfish. He has also worked as an oyster shucker for various London food markets, shucking thousands of oysters per day. As part of his research for Oyster Isles, Bobby undertook a 5,000 mile journey around the coastlines of the British Isles and Ireland on a Triumph motorcycle. Bobby lives in London, supports Newcastle United and also plays the banjo in folk band Beans on Toast. Instagram: @bobby__banjo / @bobbysoysters Website: www.bobbysoysters.com
A clever mix of food history, nature writing, travelogue and restaurant guide -- Sophie Morris * The i * Part travelogue, part social history -- Tome Morrissy-Swan * Sunday Telegraph * A masterpiece. It is so interesting to read about oyster lore on the other side of the world. Being here in America, I tend to forget how many oysters are out there in other places, especially in the UK and Ireland. Thank you, Bobby, for bringing this world of joy to me and all the rest of America * Sandy Ingber, Executive Chef of the Grand Central Oyster Bar, New York * An amazing tome. It's a joy. The stories behind each oyster and location are informative, in depth, but, most importantly, fun. I shall never eat an oyster again in the same way, the knowledge impaired from this book will definitely enhance the eating * Michel Roux Jr, Le Gavroche * Bobby's oyster travelogue is an ambitious, one-of-a-kind piece that shines a spotlight on the extraordinary and the everyday of the industry. It's the stuff that oyster bucket lists are made of * Julie Qiu, In A Half Shell blog * This book is a rolling adventure of bike, sweat, salt, sea and oysters. A book full of history and love; love for the oyster and love for the coasts of the British Isles and Ireland * Margot Henderson, Rochelle Canteen * Bobby's storytelling puts you in his wellies, and makes me want to hop on a Triumph to explore the tastes, characters, and sights of the Oyster Isles . . . An instant oyster classic * Patrick McMurray, World Oyster Shuckin' Champion * To my mind, the best food book to be published this year. Bobby Groves's fascinating and beautifully written history of the oyster in the British Isles is meticulously researched. A captivating and utterly absorbing account of a young man's odyssey. A must-have, if you possess even the remotest interest in seafood and presented in a glorious old-school style. Divine * East Coast Avocet * A super book about a super food! Bobby Groves gives the oyster lover an insight into the social history of the coastline of our wonderful country * Brian Turner *