HAVING worked as an oyster farmer since he was 16, the time has come for Jon Ravell to travel the world.
Mr Ravell is the proud owner of J and J Ravell Oysters, a business based in the Wallis Lake estuary at Forster which he runs in partnership with his wife Jan.
The oyster farm was his playground growing up. Now a wholesale business, it was started his grandfather in the 1950s and was run by his father until 2004.
“We’ve gradually built the business over time by taking pride in what we do and leading by example,” Mr Ravell said.
Today, they harvest 200,000 dozen Sydney Rock oysters a year which they predominantly sell to processors based in Sydney and Melbourne.
The Ravells are now one of the biggest oyster farming businesses in the Lake Wallis area with leases totaling almost 40 hectares.
They catch juvenile oysters in the wild then grow them on sticks for two and a half years before being finished on intertidal trays.The seed oysters are grown in floating baskets.
“We use different leases for different aged oysters. Most of our harvest leases are in prime locations within the estuary,” he said.
Oyster harvest takes place between September and April with restocking and repairs taking place from May to August.
Mr Ravell said the Wallis Lake area was highly regarded for its clarity.
“It’s a pristine area with little development. People often remark how beautiful the colour of the water is – it’s very blue owing to the sandy bottom,” he said.
“The lake is renowned for its water quality.”
The sale of the business is being managed by David Nolan, Webster Nolan Real Estate, Sydney, in conjunction with Peter Colless, NSW Farms and Property, Wingham. The sale will be on a walk-in-walk-out basis and will include the oyster leases, three years of oyster stocks, improvements plus the plant and equipment.
The Ravell’s operations are divided between an island and the mainland. Structures on the island include a processing shed, a machinery shed plus a jetty and loading wharf. On the mainland they lease a parcel of land which is used by staff to access the island. It includes a jetty and moorings for two boats plus a lockable shed.
Their current staff could be transferred to the new owner. The staff include a leading hand who has been with the business for 35 years; five permanent staff members (some of whom have been with the company for more than 20 years; a book keeper and two casual staff.
David Nolan expects J and J Ravell Oysters to sell for $3 million plus.
