Chef’s Notes
Mason Bostwick · Executive Chef
Eastern oyster
Little Honies — Little Honies — Notable sweetness — sweet. A solid farmed eastern oyster.
Flavor chart
Chef palate read
Shuckability
Shell & line performance
When I buy it
Look for Little Honies Oysters in peak season when conditions are optimal.
How I serve it
On the half shell with minimal garnish — let the oyster speak.
What to watch for
Mild salinity with creamy finish. Reject any with broken shells or milky liquor.
My read
Notable sweetness — sweet. A solid farmed eastern oyster.
Little Honies oysters are currently farmed and sold with great pride by Cypress Point Oyster Company. Critics and enthusiasts alike have praised these oysters for their exceptional sweetness. and succulence, making them an irresistible choice for cocktails. The succulent oysters have juicy and tender meat and measure around two inches in size. With a sweet and briny flavor profile, these oysters offer an exquisite taste experience. further enhanced by a luscious, fruity finish. A true delicacy of the sea, these oysters will tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving more.
“Little Honies” stand out from other Florida oysters due to their specific flavor profile and size. They are known for being super sweet and succulent, which makes them an excellent choice for cocktail oysters. At around two inches, they are smaller and have a plump,. flavorful, and briny taste with a nice cup and buttery finish. Additionally,. they are described as having a subtle honeydew finish, which sets them apart from. other oysters that may have different flavor notes. Raised on a family-owned farm in the. diverse ecology of Apalachee Bay, “Little Honies” is a product of the unique environment. and careful cultivation practices that contribute to their distinct taste.
What Are Little Honies Oysters?
Little Honies Oysters are farmed Eastern oysters from Apalachee Bay on Florida’s Forgotten Coast. Cypress Point Oyster Company grows the line in off-bottom floating cages near Spring Creek and Saint Marks National Wildlife Refuge. The stock is Crassostrea virginica marketed at roughly two inches for cocktail service. Buyers know the name from distributor tags and raw-bar menus across the South.
On the half shell the line reads complex, sweet, and succulent with a subtle honeydew finish. The meat is delightfully dense with a nice chew that holds up on cocktail platters. Salinity typically runs near 28–31 ppt with a mellow Gulf brine that leans sweet rather than sharp. The profile ranges from seriously salted to subtly sweet depending on harvest timing.
Shells cup deeply for their compact two-inch size with clean, dark exteriors and plump cream-colored meat. A buttery, fruity linger keeps the profile approachable for raw service without heavy salinity. Critics and enthusiasts praise the exceptional sweetness that makes them an irresistible cocktail oyster. The honeydew finish on the tag line lives up to the Little Honies name.
How Did Little Honies Oysters Get Their Name?
The name Little Honies reflects the oyster line’s signature honey-sweet flavor profile rather than a geographic label alone. Cypress Point Oyster Company chose the playful trade name to highlight the subtle honeydew finish diners notice on the half shell. Buyers see Little Honies on tags, distributor manifests, and raw-bar menus throughout the South.
The diminutive Little fits the roughly two-inch cocktail size that sets these oysters apart from larger Gulf singles. The Honies nod signals sweetness that critics and enthusiasts praise as exceptional for Florida oysters. The pairing of size and flavor makes the name memorable on a crowded oyster list.
The brand distinguishes this Cypress Point line from other Apalachee Bay oysters sold under different trade names. Jody and Dewey Houck market Little Honies as their premium cocktail oyster grown on the family lease. The name has become shorthand among chefs for a sweet, succulent half-shell choice.
About Cypress Point Oyster Company
Jody and Dewey Houck acquired an oyster farm lease in Oyster Bay, Spring Creek in 2019. They started farming to establish the Cypress Point Oyster Company. In May 2021, Cypress Point Oyster Company purchased Spring Creek restaurant and marina. The couple built the business on a family-owned lease in Apalachee Bay’s diverse ecology.
Cypress Point Oyster Company is an oyster farm near Saint Marks National Wildlife Refuge in a historically significant region. They are revitalizing the region’s oyster production by growing oysters and jumpstarting the oyster farming industry in the area. The farm sits on the Forgotten Coast, which is a pristine location. The company promotes sustainable oyster farming practices while preserving the region’s natural beauty.
The company leverages technology, such as weight tracking and RFID tagging, to manage its farm efficiently and optimize operations. Jody and Dewey Houck show dedication to ethical and sustainable oyster farming. The company sells its oysters to purveyors throughout the South. Little Honies remains their flagship sweet cocktail line from this lease.
Little Honies Oysters Information
Eastern oyster
If you like Little Honies Oysters, then check out these similar varieties!
Name: Little Honeys
Species: Crassostrea Virginica
Cultivation Method: Farmed
Culture Method: Off-bottom floating cages
Seasonality: Year Round
Size: 2″
Salinity: 28-31 ppt
Appearance: Around two inches in size, making them smaller than many other oyster varieties. They are plump and have a nice cup, which suggests a deep shell holding the oyster meat.
Flavor Profile: Complex sweet and succulent flavor with a subtle honeydew finish. The meat is delightfully dense with a nice chew. This gives them a unique flavor profile that ranges from seriously salted to subtly sweet.
Location
Little Honies oysters are cultivated in Apalachee Bay on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The bay opens along the Forgotten Coast east of Saint Marks River and the national wildlife refuge. Cypress Point Oyster Company holds its lease in Spring Creek near Oyster Bay within this broad estuary. Water exchange and Gulf influence shape the salinity that buyers taste on the half shell.
Apalachee Bay combines freshwater flow from rivers with Gulf salt that pushes into the system on tide. Oyster leases sit in sheltered reaches where floating cages ride the current without grounding on mud. The mix supports plankton-rich water that helps develop plump, two-inch cocktail oysters. Farmers here describe the ecology as diverse compared with more exposed Gulf bars.
The Spring Creek and Oyster Bay area sits near historic shellfish grounds that Cypress Point is working to revitalize. Off-bottom floating cages keep oysters clear of bottom sediment while tumbling builds cup depth. Salinity in the bay commonly runs 28–31 ppt across the seasons. That range yields the mellow brine and honey-sweet finish that define Little Honies.
Little Honies ship to restaurants and retailers across the South from this Florida lease. Buyers sourcing locally connect the name to Apalachee Bay on menus and shellfish tags. Peak availability runs year-round thanks to controlled farm harvest rather than wild season limits. The map below marks the central growing area for this oyster line.
Suggested Beverage Pairings
This vodka-based martini could complement the sweetness of the "Little Honies" with its own unique flavor profile.
This cocktail blends bourbon with fino Sherry, apples, lemon, and honey, which could help mellow out the intense salinity of the oysters.
These classic white wines are often paired with oysters due to their crispness, which can balance the briny flavor of the oysters.
This cocktail, made with rum, lime juice, grapefruit juice, and maraschino liqueur, could provide a refreshing contrast to the sweet and briny flavor of the oysters.
A toasty, malty stout could enhance the briny flavor of the oysters. Consider the Twin Village Farmhouse Oyster Stout from Oxford Brewing Company.
Where Can I Buy Little Honies Oysters?
- Cypress Point Oyster Company – You can buy “Little Honies” oysters directly from Cypress Point Oysters through their online store. They offer a 100-count package of “Little Honies” for $140.00
References
- Cypress Point Oyster Company. Web. Accessed 30 May 2026. http://shop.cypresspointoysters.com/shellfish.aspx
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