‘You could absolutely rip your bloody hand off’: competitors gather for England oyster shucking championship

Beneath bunting in the middle of Mayfair, there was a feverish atmosphere as the finals of potentially the poshest sport in England began: oyster shucking, judged by actor Stanley Tucci.

“The secret is not being scared of stabbing yourself in the hand,” says Quincy Coulter Young from Rocks Oysters, one of the fastest oyster shuckers in the country.

He was taking part in the Speed Shucking Oyster Open, during which competitors battle through a series of heats before a grand final, with shuckers racing against the clock to see who can open oysters the fastest without maiming the mollusc. The winner will go on to represent England at the World Oyster Opening Championship next weekend in Galway, Ireland.

Coulter Young said “repetition” was the key to having become so fast. “It’s the only job I’ve ever had. I hope I am good at it, as oyster shucking isn’t exactly a transferrable skill. My uncle was the head chef for Wright Brothers seafood bar in Borough Market, so he taught me from a very young age.”

Tucci looked happy to judge the taste and quality of the shucked oysters, despite apparently not knowing what he had got himself in for. “I thought this was going to be a wine tasting,” he joked, “but I am glad there’s food”. He was drinking from a huge goblet of white wine, eating his oysters with some trepidation, delicately using a fork rather than shooting them into his mouth.

During the first round, 16 competitors from restaurants around England were timed to see who could open twelve giant native oysters the fastest. The bivalves were then inspected by a panel of expert judges and points were lost for broken shells, damaged oyster meat and grit. Then, the fastest and most precise shuckers gathered for the final, during which they had to open thirty under the same conditions.

The winner was Fredrik Linifors a serious-looking shucker from Notting Hill Fish Shop. He was expressionless as he effortlessly prised open shells with a very steady hand.

English people have been eating oysters for more than two thousand years. The Romans loved the flat, elliptical mollusks found on our coasts, the prized delicacy known as a native oyster. In the 19th century, they were cheap and plentiful, so eaten by the poor as a source of protein.

Now, they are served by smiling, suited oystermen in upscale bars like Bentley’s, a century-old restaurant in Mayfair which serves 10,000 oysters a week, and was hosting the competition.

Two hundred spectators crammed into a tent to sip champagne and watch the shucking from the terrace which, on a Friday afternoon, is usually full of bankers and tourists enjoying bottles of champagne and seafood platters.

Helming the restaurant, and supervising the competition, is celebrated Irish chef Richard Corrigan, who bought Bentley’s in 2005. A good oyster shucker needs charm, wit – and strong arms, he says: “You don’t find oyster shuckers; you make oyster shuckers, and they need to have a smiley face and a warm heart and strong hands. It’s a completely social job. And it’s great for the biceps; don’t go to the gym, come to Bentley’s and open oysters for me!”

It’s also more perilous than it looks; the oyster shells, and the knife used to prise them open, are both very sharp.

“It’s likely you could absolutely rip your bloody hand off,” Corrigan says. He has been a victim of an oyster injury: “During the opening week of Bentley’s 22 years ago, I had a hospital bandage wrapped around my my hand. After a day of opening oysters, I was shattered and the knife slipped.”

Oysters are an important indicator of the marine environment, and they filter toxins from the water. “A native oyster is a great sign of how well our coastal waters are doing,” says Corrigan.

He has had to change where he sources his oysters, out of caution. This is because water companies in England spew sewage through pipes into the sea, which, if the pipes are too close to the oyster beds, can pollute the bivalves. “We get our oysters from Loch Ryan in Scotland, the west coast of Ireland [and] Jersey. We moved away from the Mersea, Colchester area, the south coast of England.”

Presenting me with a big, round oyster, he says: “Just chew this oyster. You’re tasting a bit of sea. This is Mother Nature.” Eating one himself, he closes his eyes and goes: “Jesus. A very mineral flavour, and you see this is not about how clever a chef is or a cook is, but about the sacrosanct respect we have for nature.”

Corrigan hopes the competition will get restaurants to “be more confident about putting oysters on the menu”. He added: “Knowing what part of Britain, where the waters are blue flag and where they’re not blue flag, that is where the best place is to get oysters from, you know. This is what it’s about. This is as good as any environmental contest.”