Vancouver Island Oyster Company Running a Stellar International Business

Twenty years ago, Stellar Bay Shellfish Ltd., a Vancouver Island-based company that supplies fresh oysters and clams to a niche market of high-end restaurants, was run single-handedly by its owner. Thanks in part to an innovative export strategy, the company now employs 35 people and sells as much shellfish as it can produce.

With British Columbia’s sustainable aquaculture practices, reputation for food safety and solid eco-credentials, our shellfish products are always in high demand, and even as Stellar Bay increased production, the appetite for their high-quality oysters has been so great that one of their biggest challenges has been keeping up with orders.

For many companies, a large number of orders is a nice problem to have. In the foodservice business, however, the ability to provide a consistent supply is a prerequisite for getting product listed on restaurant menus. Stellar Bay’s solution to their demand dilemma was to gain control of the supply chain through vertical integration.

While Stellar Bay’s main focus is on farming, it has built its own deep water handling facility. This provides the firm with direct access to the export market, bypassing the need for their product to be shipped to separate processing companies. Stellar Bay has also developed and built highly efficient, state-of-the art equipment, including its own transportation cages.

British Columbia’s strategic location helps Stellar Bay maintain a consistent supply of their sought-after product. Using our cost-effective transportation infrastructure, the company’s shellfish can be delivered from water to market in just 24 to 48 hours. To further control shipping costs, Stellar Bay focuses on exporting to markets on the U.S. west coast. Shipping shellfish to San Francisco by truck can be a quarter of the cost of shipping the same product to Toronto by air.

British Columbia offers many natural advantages that have contributed to Stellar Bay's success -from the mild west coast climate to our protected environment and clean water. The company attributes the fresh, crisp flavour of the Stellar Bay oysters to the pristine waters of Baynes Sound off the shores of its Deep Bay home.

The company contributes to environmental management by conducting grading and inventory offshore, reducing their transportation footprint. British Columbia’s agrifoods sector is well-known for creative sustainable practices like these, which add value to our products in the global market. Seafood is our number one food export, valued at approximately $1 billion annually.

Looking to learn from other successful exporters? Join the BC Business Networkto find out more about expanding your business in international markets.