about us

About Purcell's Seafood

Purcell’s Seafood is located on the Little Wicomico River in Reedville, Virginia. We have been harvesting and processing from this location since 1972.

Over the decades, we have expanded from a one-room shucking house to a processing operation complete with shucking, jarring, and freezing capabilities, all at our original location.

Harvesting and managing oysters has changed and improved over the years. But no matter how we raise our oysters, we apply our decades of knowledge and military precision to everything we do.

We still grow on our private grounds, the traditional way, on natural bars on the bottom of the Chesapeake. We have been dredging, tonging, and cultivating these bars for four generations, the same way as our great grandfathers. These bars, spread along the Little Wicomico, Great Wicomico, and Rappahannock Rivers, produce our finest wild
oyster - the Free Ranger.

Embracing the latest growing technologies, we added bottom cage aquaculture in 2008. Using cages to grow and harvest oysters enables more oysters per square foot, improves longevity, and is a cleaner oyster. Our aquaculture oysters are hand-tended and rest on the bottom of the Great and Little Wicomico Rivers. We offer the best of our aquaculture oysters in the Major’s Catch and Lieutenant’s Choice oysters.

In 2010, we added our oyster seed nursery. We raise our oyster babies right here on the Little Wicomico. We raise our oysters from larva to spat by hand in our custom-designed tanks. Once our spat reaches the ….size, we “plant” them on our grounds and in our cages, and we care for them every day.

We are four generations strong, with a 5 th in training. We apply the knowledge of our great-grandfathers, grandfathers, and fathers to every oyster we grow. Because at Purcell’s, we “raise ‘em right!”

At Purcell's Seafood, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality and freshness in every oyster we harvest. Our meticulous aquaculture practices ensure that each oyster not only meets but exceeds industry standards, delivering a superior taste and texture that our customers have come to expect and cherish.

4 M+

We raise over 4M oysters in our nursery every year. We use these baby oysters to seed our grounds and produce seed oysters for our aquaculture cages. 

600

We manage 600 acres of wild oyster bars on the Little Wicomico and Great Wicomico Rivers. Most of these grounds have been privately held by the Purcells family for generations.

2200

We manage over 2200 aquaculture cages on our private leased grounds. We manage our stock to ensure a year-round supply of succulent oysters.

About Our Oyster Legacy

At Purcell’s, our military legacy continues in the precision, diligence, and passion we give to each oyster at every stage of its life. And as fourth-generation Waterman, our oysters are in our blood.

Our oysters start their life right here at Purcell’s Seafood. We start our oysters in our onsite nursery. From larva to seed to spat to market size, we touch every oyster. And
after almost 50 years of raising oysters, we know how to “raise ‘em right.”

We know our oysters are the freshest and cleanest because we are involved in every part of their lifecycle. In addition, we leverage blue trace technology to ensure we sell the safest oysters available.

Our oysters are the best because each oyster is hand-inspected and culled for the perfect size and shape, and hand-packed for delivery right at our family’s facility on the Little Wicomico River. At Purcell’s, we know how to “raise ‘em right.”

Our family run farm is looking toward a bright future, working the waters we love to bring you fresh, high quality oysters. Thank you for your support!

Customers cherish Purcell's Seafood oysters for their exceptional freshness and distinct flavor, which are a direct result of our sustainable farming practices along the fertile waters of the Little Wicomico River. The unique mineral content of these waters imparts a briny sweetness to our oysters, making them a standout choice for both raw and cooked preparations. Our oysters are not just food; they are a culinary experience, celebrated for their plump, juicy meat and clean, crisp finish that resonates with the essence of the Chesapeake Bay.

Beyond their taste, our patrons value the peace of mind that comes with every purchase of Purcell's oysters. They appreciate our commitment to environmental stewardship and the role our oysters play in purifying the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. This dedication to sustainability not only enhances the local ecosystem but also ensures the continued availability of high-quality seafood. Our customers support Purcell's Seafood not just for the superior quality of our oysters but also for our efforts in preserving the natural beauty and health of our waterways for future generations.