When your online shellfish order arrives, please remove from the packaging immediately.

Simply place the fresh shellfish in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or paper towel and put them in the bottom of your fridge or in the salad drawer. Your shellfish should stay alive and fresh in your fridge for a least two days but it is always best to enjoy them as soon as possible. Make sure that you store them as recommended. DO NOT place them in freshwater as this is NOT the best way to keep live shellfish.

Shellfish Freshness Test

Here are 2 simple ways we use to see if shellfish is fresh and alive:

If the shellfish you ordered online are Molluscs (e.g. clams, cockles, mussels and oysters) they should be tightly closed to indicate they are fresh and alive. If any are open, knock them on a hard surface, they will respond by closing their shells slowly. Any that do not close should be discarded. You may also try squeezing them a few times between your thumb and forefinger; discard any that do not start to close.

Types of fresh shellfish available

"Shellfish" is a general term which refers to crustaceans (e.g. lobster, crab, prawns, shrimp and crawfish); or molluscs (clams, cockles, mussels and oysters, also known as bi-valve molluscs).

All of our fresh and raw shellfish available for online order are from local suppliers in Cornwall - mainly from Sue, David and Allen - who deliver to us daily; their shellfish is always super fresh and live. We are expert in keeping shellfish at its best ready for delivery to you. Raw shellfish are really easy to cook and have a great taste of the sea about them. Since there are many different types of shellfish, it is crucial to store and prepare them properly for cooking.