Melton brewery produces beer using oysters from the Essex coast
If you like drinking beer and eating oysters Melton Mowbray’s Round Corner Brewing is producing something very special for you.
The business has linked up with Colchester Oyster Fisheries again to bring back Melton-on-Sea, a distinctive 4.5 per cent Oyster Stout, marking the third time the two independent producers have brewed together.
The Essex-based family-owned company is run by Paul, whose work is rooted in the traditions of oyster farming around Mersea Island.
On brew day, fresh oysters were dredged and picked by hand and rushed back to Round Corner Brewing, on the Stockyard site off Scalford Road, where they were added to the kettle at the end of the boil.
The result is Melton-on-Sea, a silky-smooth stout that pours deep black with ruby highlights.
Roasted malts bring notes of coffee and dark chocolate, while the oysters add a subtle briny edge that sits beneath the rich, velvety body.
Gentle hop bitterness keeps everything balanced, with a toasted, dark chocolate finish and just a hint of the sea.
Colin Paige, co-founder and MD of Round Corner Brewing says: “There’s something really special about taking an ingredient with such a strong sense of place and bringing it back to Melton.
"The oysters have their own character from living naturally in the waters around Mersea Island, and you get that subtle connection to the sea in the finished beer.”
Lara Lopes, head brewer of Round Corner Brewing added: “This is the third time we’ve brewed with Colchester Oyster Fisheries, and it was a collaboration we were keen to bring back.
"Brew day is always a highlight, with fresh oysters arriving straight from the fishery and going into the kettle, and we were all looking forward to it.”
Oyster stout has its roots in Victorian Britain, where oysters were a popular pub snack enjoyed alongside dark beer.
Their briny richness made a natural match for stout’s roasted flavours.
Oyster stouts remain a relatively rare sight in modern British brewing, making Melton-on-Sea an unusual beer before you even consider its journey from the Essex coast to the heart of Leicestershire.
Melton-on-Sea is available on cask in the Taproom – pouring from Friday October 30.
Round Corner Brewing’s award-winning beers are available at the brewery’s taproom – go to www.roundcornerbrewing.com to find out more about them.