Lily Payton

IG: @nycostreaphile

Location: New York, New York, USA

Certified: L2 - 4/26/24, L1 - 10/25/23

Most meaningful oyster: My most meaningful oyster was my first—eaten at the Blue Mussel Cafe in North Rustico, PEI. I was particularly struck when we asked where the oysters were from and our waitress just pointed to the ocean behind us...how cool! It was the moment that my world opened up. Now, I'm all about regenerative aquaculture and specifically oysters.

Favorite oyster to shuck: As I'm relatively new to the shucking world, I'm all in for anything that's easy to open from the hinge. As someone from Maryland, I know I'll want to learn bill shucking soon...

Dream oyster destination: Newfoundland, Canada! While it's known for its breathtaking scenery, I'm fascinated by its budding oyster industry due the warmer waters from climate change.

Proudest oyster accomplishments to date: Getting involved with OMG as I began my oyster journey (and starting my oyster Instagram!). Now onto finding even more opportunities in this beautiful space throughout NYC and Maryland.

Favorite thing about being an OMG member: The Chat with an Expert series is a fundamentally unique and insightful offering through OMG. I try to attend (or at least watch the recording of) all of them. The value of hearing straight from the horse's mouth cannot be underestimated. It's truly a treasure trove of information and each expert makes it so fun to engage in these sessions.