A vending machine for oysters?
At The Little Ram Oyster Company, the answer is yes!
There are not all that many foods I’ve eaten from a vending machine—but nearly all have been wrapped in crinkly plastic and manufactured with some sort of food dye No. 4 if not No. 5 as well. But my vending machine life, and yours, is about to change.
That’s because the beautiful women behind Little Ram Oyster Company on the North Fork of Long Island have done the most wonderful thing: they have built an Oyster Vending Machine. They’re calling it an Automat, so that’s a bit more dignified, but it’s basically a tall steel refrigerated case that houses freshly harvested oysters that you can purchase anytime (24/7) you crave a bit of briny mollusk in your life.
A little background: In the summer of 2017, Stefanie Bassett and Elizabeth Peeples got together with some friends to celebrate a birthday and did an oyster shucking class with a Groupon they had. The couple were intrigued not only by how much fun they were having shucking and slurping oysters, but also by the positive environmental impact oysters have. They learned that oysters are among the ocean’s best filter feeders; one oyster cleans 50 gallons of water per day. They also learned that New York was once known as “the Big Oyster,” but over-harvesting and poor water quality wiped out the population by the 21st century. The couple learned about efforts to bring them back to the harbor.
Stef, who worked in advertising at the time, and Elizabeth, then an interior designer, decided then and there to become oyster farmers.
Now the couple live in Southold where they can shuck about 150 oysters each in a half an hour. They are also expert boaters now, and have grown and harvested about 2 million oysters so far. And not only is Elizabeth a proud female owner of Little Ram, she is also an elected official in the Town of Southold. She is a town trustee and is working to protect Long Island waterways and coastal land.
For Stef and Elizabeth, their shiny Automat marries creativity and purpose; it’s a full-time way to continue to restore the New York Oyster Industry while also bringing back the New York Automat.
The Little Ram Automat is open 24/7 and is located outside their building at 61600 Main Road Southold. It’s currently stocked with:
Little Ram Oysters
Bang Bang Sauce and Seasoning
Shuck Kits
Swag
Fishwife Tinned Fish Trios
Clamity Jane Clam DiP, and more…
Their Automat offerings will always rotate, but you can always count on freshly harvested Little Ram Oysters!
Also, if you’re out East on a Friday, they pop-up at the North Fork Table and Inn every weekend! Every Friday, they are onsite shucking their oysters and pairing them with a pink peppercorn mignonette and their famous Bang Bang Sauce.
They’ve created an exclusive Friday Night Bar Menu featuring North Fork Food Truck favorites like the Smash Burger and Lobster Roll, along with a Bang Bang Ranch Water cocktail to accompany your $2.75 oysters. Get ready for your Fall Fridays to be better than ever!
EVERY FRIDAY | 5-9PM
Available in the Bar Room & Outdoor Patio with heaters
(bring your sweaters!)
All seats are first-come, first-served.
Cheers!
This is such a great idea! It’s so clever and unique. I love that it’s 24/7. You never know when you’re going to crave some fresh oysters and now you can have them. Kudos!