Stranraer Oyster Festival brings everyone together

This year's Stranraer Oyster Festival was particularly special for one family, who have been reunited through the power of oysters.

Joe Pierce, travelled from Connecticut to attend the Stranraer Oyster Festival for the first time, where he was united with his half-brothers and sister, to share the family's incredible story at the festival that connected them.

Chef Douglas and cocktail expert Massimo have both played an important part in the festival since it started in 2017, leading popular demonstrations that showcase local food and drink.  

However this year, they were joined on stage by their half-brother, Joe Pierce who gave an emotional talk in front of a sell-out crowd about the family's incredible reunion.

Joe Pierce said: "The Oyster Festival changed my life. Until two years ago, I had absolutely no idea that I had family here living in Stranraer."

Joe's mother moved to the United States from her home in Bo'ness, and Joe also then emigrated to the USA as a child.

He said, "I knew only a little bit about my family background. My mother being Scottish didn't tell me much, I knew my father was Italian, I knew his name, that he was proxy married to an Italian girl, and that after I was born he went back to Italy."

For ten years Joe and his two daughters searched for information about his father but after finding nothing, they gave up.

But two years ago all that changed, Joe explained, "My sister Emily was researching oysters online in Scotland, and came across Stranraer Oyster Festival and the name Massimo Lisi."

It was the same last name as Joe's father. 

Emily quickly scrolled through Massimo's Facebook page and saw an archive image of Massimo's father who looked remarkably like Joe.

Joe adds, "I remember it was a Tuesday night about 11.30 at night, and she phoned and said 'I think I have found your father.'

“The next morning my daughter contacted Massimo's son and asked him, did your grandfather work in the North Berwick Hotel back in 1950's?"

“Massimo then got in touch with Joe's daughter, Emily who explained- 'it's kind of awkward, but I think you might be my uncle.'”

Joe has spent his entire life wondering about his family roots. He added, "I have lived through this for the last 70 years, thinking about 'if' there is a family, would they accept me."

He needn't have worried as there was a strong, immediate connection, he said, "within 20 minutes I had spoken to all my half-siblings. I really appreciate that I found this family and thank you so much for accepting me."

The evening at the oyster festival with his brothers and sister was extra special as Joe was joined by members of his family from Bo'ness, as well as his wife and family who travelled from America.

Joe finished his speech by saying, "What are the chances of looking for oysters in Scotland and finding a family. I am so glad we are all here together in Stranraer. Thank you to the Oyster Festival."

Although the family has met in both Scotland and in America previously, this was Joe's first visit to Stranraer Oyster Festival which played such an important part in this heartwarming story.

Romana Lisi, was part of the audience watching her three brothers share the family’s story, she said:  

“It was a very emotional seeing them all together at the oyster festival, I was overwhelmed but I am extremely grateful for the experience. Joe spoke so eloquently and it brought back speaking to him for the first time when we were both in floods of tears. If it wasn’t for the oyster festival and a chance search, we would have been oblivious to each other's existence.”

Romano Petrucci, Chair of Stranraer Development Trust, the community organisation that organises Stranraer Oyster Festival said:

“Stranraer Oyster Festival was created to bring our community together, but we could never have imagined it would connect our friends with a brother they knew nothing about.  

“Joe’s talk was a moving and inspiring moment in what is shaping up to be a truly magical festival that in its heart was all about homecoming for Stranraer.

“This festival has always been about community and connection. Yes, we celebrate our remarkable oysters, but what’s so very special is that the celebration of those oysters brings people together.  

“For Stranraer, the oyster festival has become like a second Christmas. Families come together, people who moved away from the area decades ago have a reason to return. It is a true homecoming weekend in every sense of the word, and this year especially so. Dougie and Massi’s demonstration was the first event to sell out this year, and the festival was packed with people keen to hear their story.

“What a privilege indeed that our festival has brought this wonderfully warm and caring family together. There was truly not a dry eye in the crowd.”

Stranraer Oyster Festival celebrates Scotland’s last wild, native oyster fishery, and takes place on the waterfront, a short distance from the sustainably managed native oyster beds in Loch Ryan. The festival launched in 2017 as a community-led regeneration project to ‘change the story of Stranraer’ from a story of economic decline to a story of destination opportunity. 2024 is the seventh festival hosted by the town, with more than 20,000 people expected to attend over the three days, with accommodation sold out weeks in Stranraer itself and the wider Galloway area.  

Stranraer Oyster Festival is supported by Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Major Events Strategic Fund, EventScotland’s National Events Funding Programme and South of Scotland Enterprise. The work of Stranraer Development Trust is also supported by Kilgallioch Community Fund.