A decade ago, Tom Haward and his late father, Richard, began crafting a plan to expand their family’s oyster business. For two and a half centuries, the Hawards have cultivated oysters on Mersea Island on the east coast of England. They used to sail their mollusks up the River Thames to London. The latest generations wanted to go farther afield, to sell half their oysters to mainland Europe. Seven years ago, Mr. Haward said goodbye to the few continental customers he had and focused on selling his oysters at home.
