Showing that a trip to the Big Apple can be about far more than what lies amid the concrete jungle, the Peninsula Academy – the hotel group’s worldwide offering of experiences and itineraries – at The Peninsula New York whisks guests away from the hotel’s 5th Avenue location to Great South Bay, Long Island, for a new masterclass in cultivating the area’s much-lauded delicacy, the Blue Island Oyster.

Magicked from the city by private seaplane transfer that takes in sights such as the Statue of Liberty and Rockaway Beach, the up to 6-hour excursion continues with a guided tour of Blue Island Oyster Farm’s facilities, where guests can glean detailed insight into the fragile ecosystem of an area under threat from harmful algal blooms (commonly known as brown tides).

The opportunity to wade out and collect the farm’s wares follows – appropriate attire provided – and as a culinary crescendo to this newfound expertise in the farm’s bountiful bivalve, a dockside gourmet preparation of the day’s catch is indulged in before return leg to the hotel.

Visit newyork.peninsula.com