Graham and Jennifer Labone of Big Bay Oysters won silver in the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show aquaculture classes with a sample of 24 bistro oysters.

The entry scored 83.88 out of 100. Each oyster is judged on its merits.

Sydney Royal competitions encourage and reward excellence with the aim to support a viable and prosperous future for agricultural communities.

Mr Labone said they entered the aquaculture competition to see how their oysters sat in the bigger picture.

They were very pleased with the result.

Mrs Labone said seeing the result in black and white really brought home that their hard work was paying off.

The Labones have been farming oysters at their lease on Port Macquarie's North Shore for 18 years.

"We are probably the smallest producer on the Hastings River and the least mechanised," Mrs Labone said.

Mr Labone stressed just how good the Hastings River water quality was and its importance to the final product.

They plan to enter the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show again in 2020 with the aim of achieving a higher score.

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