SOME 20 000 oysters are being grown in Algoa Bay in preparation for the second Graca Algoa Bay Oyster Festival, which will be hosted at The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World on October 4 and 5. This year’s festival promises to be bigger and better than the 2001 festival, thanks to support from national sponsors, according to festival organiser Suzanne Fincham. “The Knysna Oyster Company, which owns the Algoa Bay farm and is providing the oysters, has been joined by Distell, Radio Algoa, The Boardwalk, Tabasco, Tourism Port Elizabeth and South African Breweries,” she says. Described as South Africa’s “stylish” oyster festival, this year’s event will once again include a competition for the tastiest cooked oysters. “Let’s be honest. Many people baulk at eating a raw oyster for the first time. That’s why we challenged the local chefs to create recipes that preserve the flavour, goodness and succulence that have made oysters a favourite food for thousands of years. “Last year we found that many people who tried cooked oysters for the first time grew braver as the night went on and tried them raw, with a dash of Tabasco and lemon,” she says. The format for this year’s competition has been changed. Instead of a judging panel, members of the public will be invited to cast their votes for the best-cooked oysters. Assisting with the judging will be celebrities Barry Ronge on the Friday night, and Jeremy Maggs on the Saturday evening. Background music will be provided by Jazzattac from Cape Town. Also in attendance and competing for the top chef awards will be trainees from Russell Road college.