Legally & sustainably cultivated abalone

WEST COAST, SOUTH AFRICA

Premium South African Abalone.

Our company, West Coast Abalone, farms Haliotis Midae abalone on the West Coast in South Africa.

ABOUT US

OUR FAMILY BUSINESS

West Coast Abalone was started by Jens Heimberg, Karen Whyte and Dennis Whyte in 1998. We cultivate Haliotis Midae abalone in a natural and sustainable manner, using the pure fresh seawater off the west coast of South Africa. The Haliotis Midae species of abalone is only found in South Africa and is a premium abalone known world-wide for its white shell, white meat and exclusive taste and texture.

OUR ABALONE FARM

is situated in St. Helena Bay, 160 km north of Cape Town. The cold Benguela current supplies nutrient-rich pristine cold waters to our abalone, that feed on an abundance of kelp growing in the same area.

We start our journey with each abalone from spat, and nurture them for 4 to 5 years before harvesting, ensuring a succulent, juicy and tender meat.

OUR QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED STAFF

use careful farming technology with stringent bio-security measures to ensure healthy, natural and top quality product all year round, ready for your enjoyment.

We invite you to take a look into our farm…

OUR DIRECTORS

include founding member Jens Heimberg who also leads the JH Group which focuses not only on mariculture, but also property development, retail, restaurants, the hotel industry and packaging. Dennis Whyte, a professional Chemical Engineer is our Managing Director and ensures the abalone farm runs smoothly and efficiently. Karen Whyte, with a Master’s of Science background, brings scientific insight to the company.

OUR BUSINESS APPROACH

West Coast Abalone has three responsibilities: our abalone, our staff and our environment. We respect our abalone as living creatures and give them the best care possible with fresh seawater and abundant food. Within the farm context we try to optimise growing conditions to ensure good growth rates from healthy abalone. We focus on a nutritious diet made up mainly of local kelp / seaweed.

Our staff form the core of our business. Whether leading a section or being a member of the feeding and cleaning team, we recognise their value and contribution to the farm and the wellbeing of our abalone.

We challenge our staff to keep improving and learning, and to do the right thing. Some of our staff have been with us since the very early days of West Coast Abalone, growing within the company and bringing a wealth of experience to the farm.

We run our business as a sustainable, environmentally-responsible company, liaising with our community in the area. We have substantially reduced our use of plastics and limited our intake of fresh water. No harmful chemicals are utilized on the farm. We invested substantially in renewable energy by introducing solar panels to our farm. This reduces our reliance on fossil fuels and thereby decreases our impact on the environment. We are continuously striving to achieve more in this area.

Naturally Grown.
Appealingly Served.

Our Products

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LIVE ABALONE

Our fresh, live abalone is sold to you straight from our tanks to wherever you may be! Live abalone is transported only via air freight and packed carefully with oxygen and ice in polystyrene boxes, shortly before the flight.

Each polystyrene box is packed to a maximum of 8kg of abalone, ensuring that you get great quality abalone when it reaches its destination. Live abalone is sold in different size (weight) categories. We can supply any size from 50g to 200g per abalone.

Size categories: 50g – 60g, 70g – 90g, 90g-110g, 110g-150g, >150g

DRIED ABALONE

At West Coast Abalone we dry our abalone in-house in small batches. Each batch is carefully overseen and personally checked daily. Our technique has been perfected to produce the finest dried abalone. Our dried abalone will make your dish a superior culinary experience!

Grading: 17 to 26g per individual piece.

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CANNED ABALONE (limited availability)

Canned abalone provides tender and juicy meat-only abalone in a brine/clear sauce. Our abalone is canned in its natural state using only salt in the brine. No chemicals, bleaching agents or preservatives are used in the process of canning our abalone. The meat is tender, light and creamy in colour and completely natural, ensuring that our valued customers receive a premium, healthy product. Canned abalone in brine is available in 425g cans with a drained weight of 213g. Various piece counts per can are available ranging from 5 to 18 pieces per can. The larger the abalone the fewer pieces per can. The abalone in the can are of uniform size, whole and without shell, so meat only. Our canned abalone is convenient to use at home, at a restaurant, in a hotel or at your next family or business celebration. It is easy to use in any recipe, ensuring your delight and satisfaction. Please check availability of our canned abalone.

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Dried Abalone Gourmet Salt Grinder

Our gourmet Abalone Salt is a delicious partnership between our premium cultivated dried abalone and the best hand harvested salt from the West Coast of South Africa. Both abalone and salt share the same origin in the pristine seawaters from this coastline. The natural unrefined sea salt is rich in minerals and pairs well with the remarkable flavour of our dried abalone. Together this salt will intensify the flavour of a wide range of dishes from seafood, chicken, rice and pasta to your vegetables, soups and salads. A little salt goes a long way to enhance your enjoyment. This premium product contains a whole dried abalone in the middle of the salt for you to use in your favourite abalone recipe when your salt has been used.

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