When Conor and Alyssa MacNair invite guests to their N.SEA Oyster Co’s Shuck & Chill events at The Oyster Barn, not only are they inviting them to enjoy their Dukes of Topsail Sound oysters, but they invite them to be a part of their mission.
“Dedicated to raising craft sustainable shellfish that embody the taste of North Carolina while maintaining a positive impact on the environment,” reads in capital letters as the first words to follow their “Welcome to the N.SEA. Oyster Barn” greeting on their website.
In addition to farming and supplying customers locally and across the nation with fresh oysters, N. SEA Oyster Co welcomes guests to its headquarters at its Shuck & Chill tide-to-table experience on Fridays and Saturdays from noon-6 p.m. at 674 Old Landing Road.
“We bring in oysters fresh from the farm, and customers get to shuck them on their own or have lessons, and we educate them to do so. If they don’t want to shuck, we can do it with our shucker and chef on staff,” Alyssa MacNair said. “They get to get their hands on our product and have an intimate experience with our farmers.”
The MacNairs’ oyster farm has been operating for seven years, and each year they have planted more and expanded to build a farm of 2 million oysters that they harvest from each week to provide oysters to local customers and restaurants, as well as for shipping oysters around the nation.
“Our farm is our way to be our own farm stand and be the freshest option. We do shipments each week via UPS to customers who like that option,” Alyssa MacNair said.
Conor MacNair is a second-generation oyster farmer whose uncle also owns an operation on the West Coast and taught him from a young age how to surf and how to grow sustainable oysters.
“My uncle pushed me into a wave surfing when I was 9 years old, and he taught me about regenerative farming of sustainable oysters and oysters in general. From that point on, surfing and ocean health is all I wanted to do,” Conor MacNair said.
Through directed independent study and oceanography studies as a University of North Carolina Wilmington student, he worked on his uncle’s farm and helped to build California’s first oyster hatchery.
Eventually, Conor and Alyssa were able to buy their land and start their farm, where The Oyster Barn was initially built as a processing facility. Now, The Oyster Barn has been established as a place to bring the community together around oysters as a gathering space for guests.
“It is a place to celebrate the farm and where our food comes from. The farm is our pride and joy, and we like to share that with the community,” said Alyssa MacNair, who also graduated from UNCW. “The farm comes first for the first part of the week, then our doors are open to the community.”
Conor MacNair said that the barrier islands of North Carolina play a major role in the taste of the oysters. Topsail Island, being a nearly 30-mile island with two major inlets on either side, impacts the taste of the oysters as well.
N. SEA. Oyster Co’s Dukes of Topsail Island oysters are known for their briny, sweet flavor thanks to the area’s nutrient-rich waters.
“We are obsessed with a good quality shuck,” Alyssa MacNair said. “It takes two years to grow a good oyster, and how each oyster is presented very much affects flavor.”
Picnic-style and bar-top seating welcome guests to try out the local oysters at the Shuck & Chill events. The menu offers picnic kits to grill oysters, hot dogs or s’mores over Kudu grills.
Tinned fish, caviar and touches from mignonette to baked breads round out the lineup for a unique open-air experience.
Beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages are served along with other “laid-back goodies,” according to Alyssa MacNair.
The kid and dog-friendly atmosphere invites guests to do exactly what the name implies.
“We like to bring people together. Our motto is, ‘Slow, No Wake,’ to encourage people to sit among the pine trees, watch the farm crew, listen to the bluegrass play and enjoy the fresh local seafood,” Alyssa MacNair said.
The barn is also the site for customers to pick up oyster orders to take home, to rent out for private events and to visit for special public events throughout the year.
N. SEA. Oyster Co focuses on the entire food system. It uses Wilmington Compost Co. and the N.C. Coastal Federation’s shell recycling to make sure they create no waste to embody the farm’s mission.
“We do the work, and we do the extra,” Alyssa MacNair said, “to see that it’s all going to see another lifetime.”
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