Hand-Harvested from the Chesapeake Bay

It takes three years to grow a clam from “seed” to shell in the shallow waters of the Chesapeake Bay along Virginia’s eastern shore. These clams are grown using the most responsible sourcing methods, in the Chesapeake’s clean waters, raised in the same way they would naturally grow in the wild. Cherrystone even raises their own feed for the clams in special tanks overseen by their team botanists. Once the carefully nurtured clams are plump, tender, and ready to enjoy, they’re hand-harvested and shipped to us twice weekly, typically within 48 hours of being lifted out of the Bay.

We met Cherrystone in March 1996, when a pending Memorial Day clam shortage sent our Seafood Team scouting for new suppliers. The aqua-farm was much smaller then, so they were only able to help out by supplying clams for one of our New York stores. But our Seafood team was so impressed with the Ballards’ dedication to responsible sourcing and quality, they started working with them to expand their business and the partnership. Today, Cherrystone is North America’s largest aqua-farm and sends truckloads of their delicious clams to all our stores, keeping our seafood-loving customers happy year-round.

We promise to bring you the freshest, most responsibly sourced seafood every day, and we only work with suppliers like Cherrystone Aqua-Farms, which sources from the Chesapeake Bay, helping to reduce food miles and sharing our commitment to do more good.

These plump, juicy clams are delicious on the grill—especially served with a bowl of melted Butter Boy French butter!