Top Shell Oyster

Archival Print on Cotton Paper

Top Shell Oyster Farm, owned by Liam Cosgrove and Maddie Henson, is the first in Edgartown to raise oysters exclusively in the open ocean. Our two-acre farm sits a mile offshore, where the clean, fast-moving waters of Katama Bay flow into the Nantucket Sound. This dynamic environment produces strong, healthy oysters with a sweet, briny finish—and it’s as beautiful as it is productive.

Their workhorse boat on the water is Oyster Catcher—or, as they like to say, Oystah Catchah. Built tough for open-ocean conditions, she was originally designed to recover undetonated explosives. These days, she’s enjoying a well-earned second life hauling oyster cages, sorting harvests, and keeping them steady no matter what the sea throws their way.

Grown on a rocky, pebble bottom in the open ocean, Top Shell oysters develop a clean, complex flavor you won’t find anywhere else—sweet up front, briny on the finish, with a firm, mineral-rich texture. Raised in a high-energy, nutrient-rich ecosystem, they reflect the distinct character of our offshore waters—wild, honest, and unmistakably local.