A Storm Shell is a wild surf clam, Spisula murchisoni, wild harvested from the deeper surf zone at 4–8 metres off Marlborough at the top of New Zealand’s South Island. It carries an imposing angular white shell with pale straw bands, a long pearl-white tongue over a deep ochre body, and a meat-to-shell ratio above 30%.
It is one of three species in the Cloudy Bay Clams collection, alongside the Tua Tua and the Diamond Shell, and the one chefs reach for when a single clam has to hold the centre of the plate.
Where Storm Shell Come From
Cloudy Bay Clams has wild harvested surf clams from Marlborough’s pristine, nutrient-rich beaches since 1990. Storm Shell sit deeper than the rest of the collection, and we take them from 4–8 metres of water using a selective winnowing rake that lifts only market-ready mature clams. Undersized clams go back to the seabed undisturbed to replenish stocks, and every catch is hand-sorted by species on board.
From the moment they leave the seabed the clams are held on deck in aerated seawater tanks, regularly refreshed, so they arrive back on shore alive, clean and unstressed. At our Blenheim facility they are laid single-layer in tanks bathed in oxygen-enhanced deep-ocean seawater. That depuration step is what makes them exceptionally clean and grit-free. Our processing facility is USFDA-approved, the clams and the water they come from are tested regularly, and cartons leave under full NZFSA compliance, cooled below 10°C for export.
What a Storm Shell Tastes Like
The Storm Shell gives you two distinct things on one shell. The tongue has a deep, rich aroma of fresh cream and a sweet flavour of clean, fresh scallops. The body is bolder: a deep, robust sea kelp aroma and an intense shellfish flavour, reminiscent of sea urchin and crayfish.
Sizes, Grades And Formats
Storm Shell run 70–80+ mm and are graded two ways: Standard at roughly 10–12 pieces per kilogram, and Large at roughly 6–8 pieces per kilogram. They ship in three formats:
- Loose Live — live clams straight from our depuration tanks, delivered kitchen-ready for the raw bar and the pan.
- MAP Live 1 kg — a modified-atmosphere pack, retail-ready, with a 6-day shelf life.
- Frozen IQF 1 kg — individually quick frozen, export-ready, with a two-year shelf life.
Full grades, sizes and shelf life sit on the Storm Shell product page.
How Chefs Use It
The Storm Shell is ideal in single serves on the half shell, or served alone as meat and tongue. The tongue’s fresh-cream aroma and clean scallop sweetness make it a natural for the raw bar, while the body’s intense shellfish flavour stands up to robust cooked preparations. In our own kitchen, chef Steven Hodges steams Cloudy Bay Storm Shell clams then sautés them in garlic, parsley and butter, a simple, classic treatment that lets the sweet, substantial meat speak for itself.
Four Storm Shell recipes are on the site: a ceviche, a chowder, a dashi miso soup, and clams with a soy and ginger dressing. You can find all of them on the recipes page.
Getting Storm Shell Into Your Kitchen
We supply restaurants, distributors and export partners across Australia, New Zealand, the UAE, the USA and Asia-Pacific, with weekly availability updates for chefs and buyers. Grades, formats and shelf life are all set out on the Storm Shell product page. Tell us what you need on the Enquire Now page, or take the “Or book a call” option there to book a time with us.
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