Michael Tait's family has been growing mussels since 1997

Michael Tait&rsquo;s family has been growing mussels since 1997, when his father William, a keen boatman, decided to set up an aquaculture farm in the Shetlands. It&rsquo;s a rural location that has little pollution and a good supply of plankton, making it a pristine growing environment.Shetland Mussels now boasts a farm with nearly 2 million metres of ropes (that&rsquo;s almost 1,250 miles), on which the shellfish grow. The farm produces about 800 tonnes for us every year, for both pre-packed products and the fresh fish counters.<img alt="michael_tait__square" class="ci-image ci-square" src="https://ui3.assets-asda.com/dm/michael_tait__square_GL?scl=1" style="width: 400px;">Each mussel is farmed over three years. ‘For the first year, the mussels simply feed on the plankton floating past, which is a very slow and natural process,&rsquo; explains Michael. ‘Then we take them off the ropes and transfer them to another site where there is more food available &ndash; it looks like a huge field in the middle of the sea! Here, they&rsquo;re put on fresh ropes, wrapped in a biodegradable cotton “sock” and hung down in the sea with plenty of food and space to flourish.&rsquo;<img alt="shetland_1__square" class="ci-image ci-square" src="https://ui3.assets-asda.com/dm/shetland_1__square_GL?scl=1">Once fully grown, the mussels are harvested, washed, covered in ice and taken straight to a distribution point in Glasgow where they are packed. It is this swift sea-to-shelf process that ensures the mussels are as fresh as can be.The resulting plump, meaty mussels are a source of pride for Michael. ‘They have a nice marine taste rather than a fishy flavour because they&rsquo;re grown in cold, clean Scottish water,&rsquo; he explains. ‘And, as they never touch the bottom of the sea, they don&rsquo;t have a gritty texture.‘I love nothing more than cooking my mussels in garlic, white wine and cream &ndash; the classic moules marinière. Perfect!&rsquo;<img alt="moules-mariniere__square" class="ci-image ci-square" src="https://ui3.assets-asda.com/dm/moules-mariniere__square_GL?scl=1">Moules marinièrePick up <a href="https://groceries.asda.com/shelf/prawns-mussels/prawns-mussels/_/103331" target="_blank">a fresh pack of Scottish mussels online</a> or <a href="https://storelocator.asda.com/#!/" target="_blank">pop into your local store.</a>

Mussels: Meet the producers

By Asda Good Living,5th October 2018

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