Loch Ryan Oysters’ Tristan Hugh-Jones earned top honors again on Saturday, 14 September, when he beat out 16 of Scotland’s leading oyster shuckers to become the 2019 Scottish Oyster Shucking Champion.
Held in Stranraer, Scotland, the Scottish Oyster Shucking Championship is organized by Seafood Scotland and hosted by world Guinness record holder, Patrick McMurray. Shuckers hailing from Loch Ryan Oysters, Rogano, City of Glasgow College, Connors Restaurant, and White Horse Oyster Bar competed against each other and the clock, vying for the prestigious title. As the winner, Hugh-Jones will represent Scotland in the World Oyster Opening Championships, to be held in Galway during the last weekend of September.
This year marks the second time Hugh-Jones has earned the title; he first won it back in 2017, when the contest initially launched.
The 2019 Scottish Oyster Shucking Championship was held during Stranraer’s oyster festival, where roughly 10,000 oysters were projected to be eaten over the course of the event’s three days, according to the BBC. The festival – now in its third year – saw approximately 14,000 visitors attend in 2018, generating about GBP 1 million (USD 1.24 million, EUR 1.12 million) for the local economy, an independent study estimated.
Photo courtesy of Susie Lowe and Seafood Scotland
