Morrisons buys two thirds of retail oysters to sell at 25p ahead of Valentine's Day

Morrisons has bought two thirds of the UK’s retail oysters to sell at 25p ahead of Valentine’s Day.

The average cost of an oyster in the UK is £1.59, however the retailer has cut the price of its offering to make the shellfish “affordable”. The oysters will be sourced from Scotland, and will be available in 492 stores nationwide until 14 February as either single oysters or six-packs.

The retailer said it would not be passing on the cost of its “investment” in pricing to fishing crews, with all oyesters bought at the market rate.

It follows research from Morrisons that showed 40% of Brits have never tried oysters, with one in 10 put off by the price. To help oyster novices, fishmongers in 219 stores will lead oyster preparation classes and will shuck and prepare oysters on request.

Alongside the new offering, Morrisons has released a YouTube video called First Tastes, showing a customer’s first experience tasting the product in store.

“Morrisons is making this exclusive shellfish affordable, offering consumers a taste of luxury for the average price of a pack of crisps,” said Andrew Speight, seafood specialist at Morrisons. “Half of our British oysters end up being shipped abroad and we thought our customers might like more for themselves.”