The Eastern Shore of Virginia isn’t a big place. It’s a stretch of land that descends south out of Maryland and frames the Chesapeake Bay with the mainland. There are farms, a few small towns, and plenty of early American history. Creeks and streams carve the western edge with names clearly given to them by the native people that fished the inlets for centuries. And on the Atlantic side, a string of windswept barrier islands populated only with wild deer and sheep take the brunt of the ocean’s force. Standing on those beaches, the wind bites into you as you look out at the sea. And the saltwater swirling at your feet is clear and cold.

It’s here where Tom Gallivan set up shop as Shooting Point Oyster Co. some 20 years ago. And for that, we are all truly blessed. I could go on and on about the Eastern Shore water salinity and the fact that it’s part of a national wildlife refuge; there are a lot reasons why the eastern shore is the perfect place to grow oysters. But the truth of what makes the Shooting Point Oysters that we serve so great is the day to day to day commitment made by Tom and his crew that every single oyster, every single day meets the same exacting standards. This is work that starts early and goes late. When it’s hot as hell or cold as hell. When you’re covered with black flies or tortured by the surf. It’s work that demands passion and the strong, sincere values to steward this place you and your family call home.