Maine Author and Oyster Sommelier to Share "Tide to Table" Insights at Rockland Library

ROCKLAND — Virginia Shaffer, a Bath-based food writer, oyster sommelier, and founder of Lady Oyster Tours & Tastings, will give a presentation titled "Tide to Table" at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3, in the Community Room of the Rockland Public Library.

The talk will explore the world of oysters, with an emphasis on modern aquaculture methods and growing interest in oyster appreciation across the country.

Shaffer is the author of "Oyster Society: Adventures with the Shellfishly Motivated," a culinary memoir published by Islandport Press. Before establishing her tour business, she spent more than a decade documenting the people and places behind North America's oyster industry — from working farms and raw bars to oyster tourism ventures and the enthusiasts who sustain them.

Her company, Lady Oyster Tours & Tastings, was the first oyster-focused culinary tour business in Maine and was named "Best Rural Culinary Heritage Experience" in 2025 by the World Food Travel Association.

Shaffer holds a certificate in gastronomic tourism from Le Cordon Bleu Paris and a bachelor's degree in international studies from American University. Her writing on shellfish has appeared in outlets including NPR, the Boston Chronicle, Edible, Good Grit, My Maine, and Post and Courier. She lives in Bath with her husband, Warwick, two collies, and a cat.

The event is free and open to the public. More information is available by emailing Jeannie Sullivan or calling the library at 594-0310. The Rockland Public Library is located at 80 Union St.