Shetland’s shellfish industry has grown rapidly in recent decades and can now claim to be a dominant supplier to the national and international markets. Around 80 per cent of the mussels produced in Scotland annually come from waters in and around Shetland, a staggering market share for these shores.
Shellfish farming provides a low-impact, nutrient-packed, affordable, and delicious form of protein. Shetland leads the way, producing around 80% of the mussels grown in Scotland, worth almost £10 million annually.
If you sit down in a restaurant in the UK and ask for a bowl of mussels,or wander into your local supermarket chain and pick up a packet, you’ll likely be holding something grown and harvested from these islands.
And it’s not just Britain that buys Shetland mussels in bulk. Countries across Europe, and even as far away as the Middle East and Asia, recognise the quality and order Shetland’s shellfish to be delivered to them.
Mussels harvested here were worth almost £10 million to the Scottish economy in 2023 – and the sector is showing plenty of signs of growth.
Blueshell Mussels started in an “inverted container” in Muckle Roe, in the northeast of Shetland's Mainland, in 1997. Now, they are the largest mussel farmer in the UK.
Workboat skipper Sam Laurenson is the son of founder Michael Laurenson, who set out to discover if they could grow mussels.
“He stuck rope in just to see what would happen really,” Sam said.
“I think it was about three years before they got their first harvest. You’re very much just putting rope in and hoping for the best.”
Shetland is associated with quality. The water is slightly colder here than the rest of the UK, so you’re getting slower-grown mussels.
Sam, who is also responsible for much of the company’s HR work, started his career in the mussel industry around 12 years ago.
In that time he estimates his company has “probably doubled” the number of sites it operates, as the industry grows to keep up with demand.
Blueshell Mussels is part of a cooperative marketing their mussels to supermarkets around the UK, with Waitrose honing in on Shetland mussels in February for a marketing ploy around Valentines Day.
“Shetland is associated with quality,” Sam said.
“The water is slightly colder here than the rest of the UK, so you’re getting slower-grown mussels.
“It gives them more time to develop. They’re really firm and meaty, quite sweet."
Gordon Johnson agrees that Shetland’s clear, clean and cool waters make for the perfect growing conditions for the mussels harvested here.
He would know – he owns Seaspray Shetland, which sells and markets mussels grown in waters around the islands of Yell and Vementry, and Sellivoe.
Operating under the banner Shetland Select, they put mussels into restaurants ranging the length of Britain from Aberdeen to Jersey.
It doesn’t stop there though – mussels with the Shetland flag also make their way to Beirut and Dubai every single week.
Shetland is a really big player in the marketplace, and I think a lot of that comes down to the quality assurance too.
Gordon believes the quality of the water is “really what makes it a product of Shetland”.
“The water quality is really good, and that plays a big part in it,” he said.
“Shetland is a really big player in the marketplace, and I think a lot of that comes down to the quality assurance too.”
It’s not just mussels that Shetland is a shellfish sensation in now, though. The emergence of Shetland Oysters in recent years, grown on Weisdale Voe on the West Side, has seen more molluscs exported from these shores.
But both Gordon and Sam say that Shetland’s mussels are a step up from what is available elsewhere.
Gordon says those grown by the farms they own are left in the water “slightly longer” so that they are “slightly bigger” – something that “gives us a peerie bit of a niche”.
For Sam and Blueshell Mussels, whatever they harvest “leaves Shetland the day it comes out of the water”.
He thinks mussels are “a dream product to market”.
Low environmental impact
“The current push is for folk to be really conscientious of where their food comes from, and mussels really ticks every box,” Sam said.
“I think it has the lowest CO2 per gram of any protein on land or sea, because we don’t have to feed them
“Folk are obviously concerned about the environment, and we don’t do anything to the environment. We’re just creating an environment for mussels to prosper in.
“They are a bit of a superfood really. I would really love to see them become more of a mainstream product.”
Gordon knows all about marketing mussels, and he described it as a “great product” to offer up.
“Mussels have a very low environmental impact and a lot of nutritional value,” he said.
“I’ve been involved in sales and marketing in seafood for a long time, but when I was involved with fish some days you would get a big market and then the next it’s a peerie [small] market.
“So growing mussels was attractive from that point of view as it's readily available.”
Sam said the industry has “changed quite a bit” even in his dozen-year stint, with the technique for harvesting mussels being developed.
Many sites in Shetland now use a continuous rope system favoured in New Zealand, which sees long ropes – sometimes with loops or sleeves attached – suspended in the water to allow mussels to grow and thrive.
While mussels can be seen as a seasonal food, Gordon and Sam both stress that stringent tests are in place across Shetland to ensure their shellfish is safe to eat when it reaches plates.
And Sam says mussels' versatility keeps people coming back for more.
“They’re brilliant in Asian cuisine or in traditional French food,” he said.
“I like them quite spicy, but I cooked them recently with risotto rice in a Greek style of cooking too.”
Gordon will soon retire from the business he has seen expand so much, but he is confident as he hands over the reins that the future of the industry is in safe hands.
“We have a young team that’s really willing to carry this on,” he said. “The suppliers we have are good so we just want to keep it going.
“We want to just keep doing what we’re doing and make a good job of it.”
Simple Shetland mussels
Shetland Food and Drink Association director Bo Simmons is a fan of mussels and favours simple recipes, allowing the tastiness of the freshest Shetland mussels to come through.
"I like to keep it simple, maybe using bay leaves and shallots, with a bit of white wine and water to steam the mussels. I sometimes use garlic, but some people prefer them without.
"Just put the cleaned mussels in the pan and bring everything to the boil, until the shells open. That's just about three to five minutes.
"I like to remove the mussels and reduce the stock by boiling it, and I will sometimes add cream or creme fraiche. Pour the stock over the mussels and garnish with plenty of chopped parsley."
Farmed mussels fact file
- Farmed mussels maintain a healthy and clean marine environment by acting as water filters, removing excess nutrients
- They have the lowest carbon footprint of any other farmed protein in the UK (and probably the world).
- Farmed mussels have 13 key micronutrients that contribute to overall health. They rank as the most nutritious among the nation's top seafood choices - cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns.
- They’re easy to prepare and cook, taking as little as 5 minutes.
When buying mussels in a supermarket, remember to look for those grown and harvested in Shetland.
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