Melton Mowbray is famous for pork pies, Stilton and generally being very good at things you probably shouldn’t eat every day.
Oysters, though? Not so much.
But that hasn’t stopped award-winning Round Corner Brewing from bringing a little bit of the seaside to Leicestershire with the return of Melton-on-Sea, a 4.5 per cent oyster stout made using fresh shellfish from the Essex coast.
And yes, before you ask, yup, there REALLY ARE oysters in their latest tipple.
The Leicestershire brewery has teamed up with Colchester Oyster Fisheries for the third time to create the unusually maritime pint, combining roasted malts with oysters harvested from the waters around Mersea Island.
From Mersea Island to Melton Mowbray
The oysters come from Pyefleet Creek, where Colchester Oyster Fisheries grows them naturally on the seabed.
On brew day, fresh oysters were dredged and picked by hand before making the journey from Mersea Island to Melton Mowbray. Once at the brewery, they were added to the kettle towards the end of the boil.
The result is a deep black stout with ruby highlights and flavours of coffee, roasted malt and dark chocolate, alongside a subtle salty, briny character from the oysters.
So, don’t expect your pint to taste like you’ve accidentally swallowed seawater while paddling at Skegness.
The oysters are there to add another layer to the beer rather than completely take it over.
Why put oysters in beer?
It might sound bonkers, but oysters and stout actually go back a long way.
In Victorian Britain, oysters were a common pub snack, and their salty richness proved a natural partner for dark beer. The first documented commercial stout actually brewed with oysters appeared in New Zealand in 1938.
And the oysters being used in Melton-on-Sea have a pretty impressive history of their own.
Oysters from around Colchester have been prized for centuries. The Romans were reportedly rather keen on them, transporting oysters from the Essex coast back to Rome, while oyster shells found at archaeological sites provide evidence of their popularity.
Round Corner co-founder and MD Colin Paige said: “There’s something really special about taking an ingredient with such a strong sense of place and bringing it back to Melton.
“The oysters have their own character from living naturally in the waters around Mersea Island, and you get that subtle connection to the sea in the finished beer.”
Head brewer Lara Lopes added: “This is the third time we’ve brewed with Colchester Oyster Fisheries, and it was a collaboration we were keen to bring back.
“Brew day is always a highlight, with fresh oysters arriving straight from the fishery and going into the kettle, and we were all looking forward to it.”
Where can you try Melton-on-Sea?
Melton-on-Sea goes on cask at Round Corner Brewing’s Taproom in Melton Mowbray from Friday, October 30.
Its comeback follows a particularly good year for the Leicestershire brewery, which was named Brewer of the Year: UK at the International Beer Challenge 2026.
All five beers entered by Round Corner picked up medals, with Steeplechase Pale Ale, 10 Hours in L.A. Pacific Pale Ale and Frisby Lager taking Gold.
More details on their website: https://roundcornerbrewing.com/
