Bridging the Gap: An Oyster Shucker’s Journey
I never planned for this trip to be more than just a getaway. Mahnaz and I packed up the van, grabbed our dog Bijli, and started driving south. The idea was simple—eat oysters, meet people, and shuck wherever we could. But the further we drove, the more oysters we ate, the more farmers and shuckers we met, the more this trip became something else. Conversations kept leading back to the same thing: What does it mean to be an oyster shucker?
I’ve worked in the restaurant industry for long enough to see how easy it is to fall into the routine—show up, clock in, and leave without a second thought. That was me when I started shucking in 2021. I picked up a knife because I needed work, trained for an hour, and was sent to an event the next day. I spent nearly two years opening oysters without truly understanding the craft.
(Pics - 2021 to 2025)
That changed when I found the Oyster Master Guild, got more involved, and started talking to fellow shuckers, visiting farms, and really learning about oysters. It opened up my world to a community I didn’t even know existed—people who cared about oysters, about where they came from, and about doing things the right way. Meeting shuckers like Andy Rogers from Jolie Rogers in Maine and Gary McCready from the Philadelphia Oyster House made me realize this wasn’t just a job.
Through traveling—visiting farms, shucking at festivals, competing—I’ve come to realize that shucking is about more than just speed or technique; it’s about connection.
Oyster Time Distribution from Farm to Table
Every oyster has a story—years in the making, shaped by the tides. Farmers spend years growing them, distributors move them, restaurants curate their selection, but the shucker is the one who tells it, and a skilled, well-informed shucker will bring that story to life with every shuck.
Farmers 58.3% | Distributors 27.2% | Restaurants 13.6% | Shuckers 0.90%
*While the specific percentages might vary, the overall flow of oysters through the supply chain is accurately represented.
North Carolina: Wild Oysters and the Shucker’s Role
Our journey started off in North Carolina, in Surf City, where we stopped at my friend Ashley’s place and picked up some wild oysters from Stump Sound. Shucking these oysters reminded me just how much variety exists in the oysters we handle—how wild and farmed oysters each carry their own character.
It also reinforced something I’ve been thinking about more and more—the role of the shucker in preserving that story. The oysters we serve don’t just appear on the plate; they carry years of growth, shifts in tides, changes in salinity, and the hard work of the people who farm or harvest them.
A shucker is the final step in the process, the hands that determine whether that oyster arrives in perfect anatomical condition, delivering the flavor it was meant to, or if all the hard work before is for nothing. The way we shuck, talk about, and present oysters matters. And that’s something worth getting right.
Pensacola, Florida: Science Meets the Oyster
Our next stop was Pensacola, Florida, where we dropped by Grayson Bay Oyster Company and met Brandon and Corey. Brandon, an environmental scientist, made the leap into oyster farming and catering, and Corey (psst - go check out his hot sauce), a solid shucker, works on the farm and at the catering company, Eco Catering.
This was one of those moments where I saw how much the oyster industry is evolving. It’s no longer just generational farmers running beds—scientists, chefs, entrepreneurs, and innovators are stepping in, seeing oysters not just as food but as a solution to environmental restoration and a driver of sustainable economies. The knowledge base in this industry is expanding, and as shuckers, we need to tap into it, learn from it, and be part of the bigger picture.
New Orleans: Where the Masters Shuck
New Orleans has its own rhythm when it comes to oysters. At Superior Seafood, I met Jay Gallet, a shucker who moves through oysters with effortless grace. He shucks thousands a night, each one clean and perfect. Beside him was Paytoven, younger but eager to learn, embodying the spirit of mentorship.
While devouring a life-altering plate of charbroiled oysters, I asked Jay why there’s such a disconnect between shuckers and farmers, why more shuckers don’t visit the farms where their oysters are grown. His answer was simple: opportunity and communication.
That hit home. How do we expect shuckers to respect the oyster if they’ve never met the people growing them?
Then there was Sidecar New Orleans, where Jeffrey Spoo ran the oyster bar. Watching Spoo work, you see someone who doesn’t just shuck oysters—he tells their story. He knows the farms, the flavors, the people behind them. Sitting at his bar, talking to him about oysters, was the kind of experience that makes you want to do better, learn more, and dig deeper.
Talking to Jay, Paytoven, and Spoo reaffirmed something—that shuckers aren’t just workers behind the bar; we’re the last link in a long chain, and that comes with responsibility. It’s on us to learn, to ask the right questions, and to make sure the oyster’s story doesn’t get lost before it reaches the plate. And if the problem is opportunity and communication, then maybe the answer is simple: we start creating those opportunities, and we start talking.
“If the opportunity is there, I think shuckers would absolutely go—especially to learn,” he told me. “But it’s not something a shucker naturally seeks out, because it doesn’t make them faster. And for a lot of shuckers, speed is what gets you paid. I grew up on an oyster boat, so that knowledge was there for me. But for others, if no one presents the opportunity, it just doesn’t happen.”
Texas Oysters, Texas Hospitality
Our next stop was Galveston, Texas, where we had dinner at The Fancy with Stephanie and Blake from Lone Star Oyster Company along with Jaren, their farm manager. As i said in my last blog post, Texas oysters are a revelation—farms like Lone Star are proving they can be just as complex and refined as any from the East or West Coast.
Joining us was Julian from Shuck’s Tavern, a fellow Queens transplant I’d met in New York at the Oyster Master Guild Educator Summit. Julian exemplifies what’s possible when someone takes this craft seriously. He knows that his job isn’t just to shuck oysters—it’s to represent them. The way he talks about them, the way he shucks, the care he shows—that’s what this industry needs more of.
Julian then took us to Shuck’s Tavern, where he ensured we left full—broiled oysters, baked oysters, gumbo, shrimp cocktail—a spread that makes you sit back and appreciate where you are.
Before leaving Texas, Julian had one more stop for us: Clark’s in Houston. Chef Grant and Chef Ricardo welcomed us like family, and what stood out most was their team’s proficiency in handling oysters. It’s a testament to what’s possible when a restaurant values the raw bar as much as the kitchen.
But the hospitality didn’t stop there. Julian introduced us to his friend Lauren, who drove out of her way to make sure Mahnaz got her first taste of authentic Texas BBQ. That gesture, that willingness to do more, truly captured the spirit of Texas—going above and beyond to make you feel at home.
Connecting the Dots: What We Heard from Farmers and Shuckers
“We never thought about reaching out to the shuckers directly. Maybe we should.”
Throughout our journey, we reached out to farmers and shuckers with the same question: where does communication break down? A common answer: there’s almost no direct line between the farm and the person placing the oyster on the plate.
“For me it’s definitely a money and time thing. Also I don’t know any farmers!”
Technology is one way to bridge this gap. Imagine apps providing live farm updates, water quality data, and shucking tutorials directly to shuckers’ phones. QR codes on oyster tags could link to videos and profiles of the farmers who grew them. Social media can showcase not just the oysters, but the people behind them.
The better we connect these dots, the stronger the industry becomes.
Where Do We Go from Here?
Shuckers deserve a seat at the table. They are storytellers, representatives, and the final step in a process that starts years before an oyster reaches a plate.
March 20th, 21st, and 22nd, The Wandering Shuckers Co. will be at the Oyster South Symposium in St. Augustine, Florida conducting a shucking demonstration and bringing these conversations forward. Because the better we understand this craft, the better the experience will be for everyone—the farmers, the restaurants, the shuckers, and the people enjoying the oysters.
We’re not just serving oysters. We’re telling their story the way it was meant to be told.
Sources - NOAA.GOV
Oyster South - https://www.oystersouth.com/2025-symposium
Oyster Master Guild - https://oystermasterguild.com
