W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 J U N E 2 , 2 0 2 5
F O C U S A G R I C U LT U R E / A Q UA C U LT U R E
Back to school
Oysters may not be an acquired taste for everyone, but
cracking them open without drawing blood while sip-
ping a glass of bubbly is an acquired skill. The blade
has to be inserted in the right place, at the right angle
and with the right degree of torque.
In these photos of a shucking class offered by the
Maine Oyster Co. at its Portland raw bar, John Herrigel
gives a crash course in oysterology and slice-by-slice
training to a group of locals and visitors. In this school,
everyone graduates.
"We've never had any failures at all, we're always
able to get them to successfully shuck," says Bryn
Jerome, who goes by the title chief of shucks.
Occasionally, like prizes in old-time cereal boxes, a
shell opens up to reveal a teeny-tiny pearl. "You find
it, you keep it," Jerome says.
More than 75 growers are affiliated with the Maine
Oyster Co., which also operates a sales portal, conducts
farm tours and caters private events.
A through-the-window view of the shucking class.
An oyster awaits its journey to the table.
John Herrigel demonstrates the proper technique.
