EAT WELL. DO GOOD. BE FANCY.

We’re a small, family, veteran-owned business that has been working on the Lynnhaven River for nearly 20 years. Our family moved to Virginia Beach and onto the amazing waterways of the Lynnhaven in the 1960s and have enjoyed bringing up multiple generations of environmentally-minded children. It just so happens that our love of seafood, specifically oysters, also helps to protect and preserve the Lynnhaven and all of its human and animal citizens. We recently rebooted our family’s oyster business as the First Landing Seafood Company and are ushering in a new era of America’s First Oyster®, the Lynnhaven Fancies®. Feel free to read more below and reach out if you have inquiries of any sort!

Thank you for your support. Every oyster counts.

- The First Landing Seafood Company Team and our entire family

EAT WELL.

Life is short. There’s no reason to eat anything less than the best. We believe that fresh, local, sustainable seafood is about as good as it gets.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF FIRST LANDING SEAFOOD COMPANY:

CELEBRATING THE REINTRODUCTION OF AMERICA’S FIRST OYSTER®, THE LYNNHAVEN FANCIES®

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — When English settlers first landed at present-day Cape Henry, an exploration team came upon a most delicious discovery: large, plump oysters being roasted in an open fire first near the mouth of the Lynnhaven Bay.

Described as “very large and delicate in taste,” by diarist George Percy on April 27, 1607, those words hold true today for the much-celebrated bivalve. The Lynnhaven oyster, America’s First Oyster™, has enjoyed worldwide recognition from that day forward.

Those tastes and traditions continue today with Lynnhaven Legacies and Lynnhaven Fancies™ from the First Landing Seafood company.

THREE BROTHERS, ON THE HALF-SHELL

First Landing Seafood Company is a small, family-owned, veteran-led business in Virginia Beach. Three brothers, Bruce, Craig, and Bay McLaughlin, all born and raised in Virginia Beach, started their new venture in 2021. The roots of the oyster operations began in 2004 as the Lynnhaven Oyster Company.

“We believe that every Virginia Beach citizen, as well as the many tourists that the city relies on, deserved to have a delicious, fresh, and clean Lynnhaven oyster anytime and anywhere they like,” said Bay McLaughlin .

“But much to our surprise, when researching the next phase of the family business, we found it hard to find consistently good Lynnhaven oysters. It was part pride, part naivety, and a love for the water and each other that my brothers and I decided to dive in and launch the First Landing Seafood Company.”

Acquiring approximately 70 acres of prime oyster leases in Broad Bay, the brothers hired noted waterman Joey Carmack as their operations manager to lead the team on the water daily.

The brothers decided early on that just growing, harvesting, and selling native Lynnhaven oysters wasn't enough. They believed that they had a duty to help accelerate the restoration and conservation work that Lynnhaven River Now, The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and so many others had been working on for decades.

From Day One, they decided to build their own oyster reefs that they will tend to, but never harvest, in order to ensure the Lynnhaven's oyster population continually increases.

LYNNHAVEN LEGACIES

Lynnhaven Legacies, the first oyster offered from First Landing Seafood Company, were first shucked Thanksgiving, 2021.

“This is the first oyster our company has launched,” says Craig McLaughlin. “It pays homage to our father, uncle, cousins, and grandfather who all helped to build the foundation for the business on the Lynnhaven.

The Lynnhaven Legacies are the oysters that your daddy’s daddy, and your daddy’s daddy’s daddy knew and loved. This is the wild oyster that made the Lynnhaven River known for producing one of the freshest, most perfectly balanced, salty and sweet flavor profiles in the world.”

Look for Lynnhaven Monsters from time to time. Monsters are Legacies that are allowed to grow a bit longer, and a bit bigger, measuring between four and six inches.

LYNNHAVEN FANCIES

The first settlers found Lynnhaven oysters, later called the Lynnhaven Fancies™ by the Queen of England, and served them with local strawberries. This story inspired the brothers to begin cultivating a new oyster that would live up to the exacting standards of oyster lovers around the world, both making locals proud and shepherding in a new era of world-class oyster production in our backyard.

“The First Landing Seafood Company is excited to launch the Lynnhaven Fancies™ this summer and hope that consumers and chefs from around the region will join us in our business vision to 'Eat Well. Do Good. Be Fancy,' says Bruce McLaughlin.

“We believe that we all deserve to eat the best oysters in the world, grown right here at home. We also believe that in doing so, you don't have to hurt the environment or cut corners.”

GOOD, AND GOOD FOR YOU

While many know the delicious flavors of oysters, most would be surprised to learn that oysters are low in calories yet loaded with nutrients, including protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. They are a true superfood and sometimes called the veggies of the ocean.

SEEK, SHUCK, AND SLURP

A number of restaurants in Virginia Beach and across the region offer oysters from First Landing Seafood. You can always find an updated list here.®

Purchase America’s First Oysters, the Lynnhaven Legacies or Fancies™, for your family or function on Fridays and Saturdays at Browning’s Marine.

Oyster enthusiasts can also reach out for any orders, events, or other interests at orders@firstlandingseafood.com