Trend watch: deep sea treats...

Instead of the usual meal-deal or drink promotion, the Richmond runs an Oyster Happy Hour, with oysters available for £1 each.

It’s an integral part of the Richmond’s ‘raw bar’ concept, which features a menu of oysters from throughout the British Isles. Options include the ‘small, sweet and meaty’ Maldon Kumamoto (£2.75); the Cumbrae, with its ‘deep minerally flavour’ (£3.50); and the ‘sweet, nutty and almost buttery’ Lindisfarne (£3).

So long the preserve of high end restaurants, it appears Redman isn’t alone in trying to broaden the appeal of oysters. In addition to street food vendors such as the Bloody Oyster, which operates out of a double-decker bus, oysters can now be found on the menus of many pubs.

Porter pairings​

In London, oysters were traditionally paired with dark porter stouts and the Cow, in Notting Hill, offers a ‘Cow London Special’, which is a pint of Guinness served alongside half-a-dozen rock oysters for £14. Customers can also buy six West Mersea rocks (£12), six Fines de Claires (£14.50) and six Loch Ryan natives (£24), from its seafood menu.

The Well & Bucket, in London’s Bethnal Green, also makes a play of pairing its oysters with porters. Its seven-strong oyster menu includes the Rockefeller, oysters broiled with Tabasco, absinthe, spinach and a cheese sauce (£15); and a southern-fried option with tartare sauce (£15). A Bloody Mary oyster shot is also available for £5.

Stephen Harris, who runs the Sportsman, in Seasalter, Kent – Top 50 Gastropub Awards winner 2015 – has had a long association of combining oysters with unusual ingredients.

Some of his favourite pairings include: oysters with chorizo; poached oysters with pickled cucumber​; deep-fried oysters with seaweed mayonnaise​; and oysters with caviar.