Chef’s Notes
Mason Bostwick · Executive Chef
Eastern oyster
1620 oysters are John and Matt Nickerson’s bottom-planted Easterns on Plymouth CCB42. Mud-and-sand bay floor builds dense shells and a nori-to-vegetal cup that reads different from floating Duxbury neighbors. I reach for them when I want South Shore winter harvest with real Plymouth place on the menu.
Flavor chart
Chef palate read
Shuckability
Shell & line performance
When I buy it
Ask for 1620 bands tied to Plymouth CCB42, not a generic South Shore lot. John and Matt Nickerson farm the line; Island Creek often carries it seasonally. Confirm harvest week when the SKU is limited.
How I serve it
Plate on crushed ice with virgin liquor intact. The nori-leaning brine and vegetal mid-palate fade under heavy mignonette. One-line menu copy can cite Plymouth and the 1620 name.
What to watch for
Spawn-season milky liquor can appear on Eastern oysters in warm months. Shorten hold times through midsummer even though winter harvest is a farm selling point. Bottom culture can pick up sediment odor after hard weather — taste a cup before service.
My read
1620 is a small Plymouth farm story worth telling tableside. Matt left lobstering for aquaculture; John joined after construction retirement. Bottom plant on mud-and-sand yields dense shell and that nori-to-vegetal South Shore cup.
What Are 1620 Oysters?
1620 Oysters are an Eastern oyster line from John and Matt Nickerson’s Plymouth, Massachusetts lease in area CCB42. The name nods to Plymouth’s founding-era history while the grow-out is thoroughly modern bottom culture. Farmers bottom-plant on a bay floor mix of mud and sand that Island Creek copy calls ideal for shell density and meat flavor. Oysters reach market after roughly 18 to 26 months on the bottom. Harvest can continue through colder months because mud insulates beds when air temperatures drop.
Distribution often flows through Island Creek Oysters as a seasonal partner SKU. The farm waited five and a half years for a four-acre town lease and began consistent full-time harvest in 2019. On the half shell, tasters report complex nori-like brine and vegetal richness with full cups. All stock is Crassostrea virginica.
Bottom planting on Plymouth mud-and-sand bay floor distinguishes 1620 from floating-bag neighbors in Duxbury Harbor. Partner sheets describe dense shell growth from bay-floor contact and a nori-leaning flavor arc. Chefs who menu by South Shore place use the 1620 tag to signal Nickerson Plymouth provenance rather than a generic Massachusetts lot.
How Did 1620 Oysters Get Their Name?
The 1620 name connects Plymouth aquaculture to America’s Hometown founding date. It signals South Shore provenance for chefs who menu by place rather than generic Massachusetts tags. The Nickersons do not market a separate farm LLC name on partner sheets.
Distributors print 1620 on carton bands when the Plymouth lot is in rotation. The label is geographic and historical, not a cultivar or shell-color name. Buyers read it as Nickerson Plymouth stock rather than a generic Massachusetts Virginica lot.
About the Nickerson Farm
1620 Oysters is a family-operated oyster farm in Plymouth, Massachusetts, founded by John Nickerson and his son Matt Nickerson. After more than two decades as a commercial lobsterman, Matt transitioned into shellfish aquaculture in response to increasing regulations and the desire for a more sustainable, year-round business. John joined the operation following his retirement from the construction industry, and together they spent more than five years securing a four-acre aquaculture lease before beginning commercial production. They harvested their first full-time crop in 2019 and have continued expanding the farm with the help of a small crew of family and friends. Their oysters celebrate Plymouth’s maritime heritage, and the name “1620 Oysters” honors the year the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth.
The Nickersons bottom-plant 1620 Oysters on the mud-and-sand floor of Plymouth Bay. That method builds thick shells, deep cups, and a mineral-driven flavor arc partners describe as nori-to-vegetal. Mud insulates winter beds so harvest can continue through colder months. Grow-out runs about 18 to 26 months before market. John and Matt handle planting, lease work, grading, and harvest with a small crew, and Island Creek Oysters often carries the finished shellstock.
Follow Them
Follow 1620 Oysters through Island Creek Oysters’ Plymouth product page for farmer notes, grow-out detail, and seasonal retail packs. John and Matt Nickerson do not run a separate public farm storefront online. Chefs can also use Island Creek chef direct when the 1620 SKU is in rotation. Call Island Creek wholesale if you need Plymouth CCB42 bands and current harvest timing.
The Cultivation Process
Seed goes to the bay bottom rather than floating bags. Mud-and-sand substrate protects oysters in winter and supports cold-month harvest when conditions allow. Bottom contact builds shell density that partners tie to easier shucking. Grow-out runs about 18 to 26 months before harvest on a small-crew, hands-on lease.
1620 Oysters Information
Eastern oyster
If you like 1620 Oysters, then check out these similar varieties!
Location
The Nickerson lease sits in Plymouth, Massachusetts shellfish area CCB42 on Cape Cod Bay. Bottom culture uses mud-and-sand bay floor that moderates winter extremes. Plymouth’s South Shore position places the site outside Duxbury Bay floating farms but inside the same broad New England Virginica market. Small-lease aquaculture competes with a long municipal waiting list for new grants.
Tidal exchange from Cape Cod Bay feeds phytoplankton to bottom-planted stock. Storm runoff and bay sediment can affect nearshore beds after heavy weather. Chefs should taste a sample cup after nor’easters even when lot tags read Plymouth. Winter mud insulation supports the farm’s cold-month harvest story. Distributors often rotate South Shore lots quickly once beds reopen after closures.
Environmental Factors
Bottom planting interacts directly with bay-floor sediment. Mud can protect winter beds but also demands post-storm quality checks. Eastern oyster spawn biology still applies in warm months regardless of culture method. Respect Massachusetts sanitary closures and distributor advisories before raw service.
Suggested Beverage Pairings
Clean rice polish mirrors the nori-leaning brine on 1620 Oysters without masking vegetal mid-palate. Subtle sweetness frames Plymouth bottom culture on a raw-bar flight. Serve chilled beside virgin cups.
Chalky minerality pairs with dense 1620 cups after the salty opening. Fine bubbles reset the palate between full-bodied Virginica bites.
Farmhouse phenolics flirt with 1620’s vegetal richness while carbonation resets salinity. The beer’s dry finish keeps nori-brine notes from feeling flat.
Low-tannin gamay suits the nori-brine opening on 1620 Oysters. Bright fruit lifts the vegetal mid-palate without fighting Plymouth liquor. Keep the pour cool beside the half shell.
Nutty oxidative depth supports the vegetal finish on 1620 Oysters from Plymouth bottom culture. Served cold, it bridges savory liquor and a warm kitchen pass. Use it when the raw bar wants sherry instead of Champagne.
Where Can I Buy 1620 Oysters?
You can buy 1620 Oysters from the following sources:
- Island Creek Oysters — 1620 from Plymouth — Partner product page with farmer, site, and grow-out detail for the Nickerson Plymouth lot.
- Island Creek Oysters — chef direct — Wholesale and restaurant PO route when the 1620 SKU is in seasonal rotation.
- Browne Trading Company — Portland, Maine distributor sourcing Northeast farm oysters including Massachusetts South Shore tags when listed.
- Fortune Fish & Gourmet — Regional seafood distributor carrying New England farm oysters; ask for Plymouth CCB42 or 1620 bands when available.
References
- Island Creek Oysters. 1620 Oysters from Plymouth, MA — partner product page. Accessed 21 May 2026. https://shop.islandcreekoysters.com/products/1620-oysters-from-plymouth-ma
- NOAA Fisheries. Eastern oyster (*Crassostrea virginica*) overview. NOAA Fisheries Species Directory. Accessed 21 May 2026. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/eastern-oyster
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