Love Point
Crassostrea virginica
A Casco Bay oyster grown in floating cages off Upper Goose Island in Harpswell, Maine. Bright and briny with cucumber notes, a full cup of juicy meat and a savory finish, in a clean, pale shell.
At a Glance
Love Point is an Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) from the US East Coast. It is notably briny (4/5 brininess) and moderately sweet (3/5 sweetness), with briny, bright, clean flavors and a finish that is rich and savory.
Flavor Profile
Finish
Rich and savory
Expert Notes
Love Point oysters come from a four-acre lease off Upper Goose Island in Middle Bay, in the Harpswell part of Casco Bay. Cameron Barner and Ben Hamilton, who started farming together in 2019, raise seed in a nursery near the Harraseeket River in Freeport and grow the oysters out in floating cages that they flip once a week, which hardens the shells and keeps them clean. The oysters reach market at 18 to 30 months. The farm describes them as bright and briny with a rich umami finish. Island Creek Oysters, which sells them, hears bright cucumber and a delicate brine and credits a nearby freshwater stream for their sweetness, so the sources differ on how salty they are. The Maine Oyster Company rates the brine bold. They were named Oyster of the Year at the Maine Oyster Festival in 2025. Origin & Characteristics
- Species
- Crassostrea virginica
- Native to
- USA
- Grown in
- Upper Goose Island, Middle Bay, Harpswell, Maine
- Size
- Medium (3.5 inches)
- Shell Color
- Clean, pale and marble-like
- Meat Color
- Ivory to light gray
Where to Try It
Portland, Maine
- Eventide Oyster Co. Middle Street
On these menus when we checked on October 1, 2026. Raw-bar lists change daily.
What Tasters Say
Across 6 sources, tasters describe this oyster as:
Unique notes: rich umami finish, minerally, Italian marble shells
"Flavor — bright and briny with rich umami finish"
brightbrinyumami
"The meat fills the cup and is full of bright cucumber flavors and a delicate brine."
brightcucumbermild brine
"Bright, briny & buttery"
brightbrinybuttery
"Love Points are distinctively bright, briny, and balanced."
brightbrinybalanced
"He describes Love Point’s oysters as “clean, crisp and minerally.”"
cleancrispmineral
About the Farm
Love Point Oysters
Est. 2019Cameron Barner worked on the Island Creek Oysters farm in Duxbury before leaving for a master's degree in aquaculture. Ben Hamilton got in touch with him about a school project, and the two became the farm's two-man team, with their first season in 2019. They run six miles out to the lease in a 19-foot skiff and cull, clean, sort and bag on the boat.
- Cultivation Method
- floating cages, flipped weekly
History & Background
The lease is in the southeast corner of Upper Goose Island in Middle Bay, Harpswell. The Harpswell Anchor reports that seed starts in a nursery near the Harraseeket River in Freeport and that the oysters spend close to a full season at the Harpswell site before harvest. The farm lists them as available May through November.
Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland lists Love Point among its Maine oysters, and its shellfish buyer told the Harpswell Anchor that farms like Love Point turn out a consistent classic teardrop shape. Island Creek Oysters says the farmers are members of 1% for the Planet.
Did You Know?
- Named Oyster of the Year at the Maine Oyster Festival in June 2025
- Island Creek Oysters compares the clean shells to Italian marble
- The farm lists its oyster at about 3.5 inches
- The farm runs boat tours to the lease
Sources & References
This information was compiled from 6 sources.
- About — Love Point Oysters
- Love Point Oysters from Harpswell, ME — Island Creek Oysters
- From river to sound, Harpswell oysters draw flavor from 'the magic of the spot' — Harpswell Anchor
- Love Point — The Maine Oyster Company
- Love Point Maine Oysters (Harpswell, ME) — SoPo Seafood
- Description — Love Point Oysters
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Learn More
The Big Five: A Complete Guide to Commercial Oyster Species
Comprehensive guide to C. virginica (Atlantic), C. gigas (Pacific), C. sikamea (Kumamoto), O. lurida (Olympia), and O. edulis (European Flat)
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