After the incredible success of 2017’s Oyster Festival, the team at Sean’s Kitchen have worked with a range of different artisans to come up with brand-new, tantalising dishes for every palate.

“We’ve been doing the Oyster Festival for six years all up, and this is the fourth year here in Adelaide,” said Sean Connolly, executive chef of the restaurant and the mastermind behind Oyster Festival.

“A big selling point was the $1 oysters. We did 17,000 of those here last year, and there were about 25,000 to 30,000 oysters all up, adding all the different types of cooked oyster dishes we do.

“In South Australia, we do Pacific and local oysters, we are working out of Kangaroo Island, Cowell, Coffin Bay and Streaky Bay,” he said. “When you try the different oysters from different farms you get a range of minerals and different saline qualities coming through. Some are creamier than others, and some are a bit funkier.”

Popular South Australian craft beer brewery Pirate Life and award-winning distillers Kangaroo Island Spirits have joined the Oyster Festival to combine local oysters with a range of paired cocktails and drinks, as well as incorporating their beverages into the dishes themselves.

“We have the support of Kangaroo Island Spirits with their gin and vodka and Pirate Life with their craft beer,” said Connolly. “They have been working with the chefs to blend fantastic cocktails and beverages with all of the different dishes.”

This year, the Oyster Festival will host three unique events. A Sparkling Wine and Champagne Oyster Dinner on August 14 matches oysters with local Deviation Road Sparkling and 2008 Vintage Pol Roger Champagne.

Later in the month, there will be a beer and oyster night with Pirate Life, exploring the popular global trend of beer and oyster matching, as well as a Kangaroo Island Spirits Dinner on August 28 to wrap up the festival.

“We try to incorporate different artisans and producers, so it’s a real local experience,” said Connolly. “It has to have a local base. I eat oysters from all around the world and some of the very best oysters in the world come out of South Australia. The Coffin Bay and Streaky Bay oysters are world-class.”

The Pirate Life team are thrilled to be a part of this year’s festival and have been passionate about the stout and oyster combination since they brought their beer expertise to South Australian from Perth.

“Oysters and beer are a match made in heaven, especially stout which has the rich, bold, and full-bodied flavour to match with the oysters,” said Pirate Life’s head brewer Lewis Maschmedt.

As Connolly launches Oyster Festival in his restaurants in Sydney, Byron Bay and Dubai, he believes that the team at Sean’s Kitchen have created a truly one-of-a-kind culinary experience for oyster lovers.

“It’s great for the oyster industry! These are the top of the range, good quality oysters, that are hand-picked, and every one is freshly shucked here by my chefs,” said Connelly. “Every year it keeps getting bigger and more fun. It hasn’t really changed, and some of the dishes have been very similar.”

The Oyster Festival will be running for the entirety of August, with $1 oysters available 12pm–1pm and 5pm–6pm Monday to Friday.

For more information visit https://www.adelaidecasino.com.au/whats-on/dining/oyster-festival/