The Summer Party Upgrade You Didn’t Know You Needed
The Oystertainer has entered the chat
Thinking of having a party this summer? I am. I have a plan to sweep out the pollen, pull out all the overgrown weeds, prune those rosebushes, and try to assemble some friends in my ramshackle backyard sometime soon. Maybe you’re thinking of doing the same? Perhaps you have an upstate house, a North Fork cottage or some kind of bungalow somewhere you can gather your tribe? Even just your studio apartment. I’ve got the best party trick. The Oystertainer.
You’ve probably seen a roving oyster shucker cheerfully weaving in and out of a party wearing a bucket-clad belt and a shell in hand? I first saw them at a party given by the Sleep No More folks and then learned about the roving oyster shucker business from my friend Julie Qiu, author of In A Half Shell and cofounder of the Oyster Master Guild, the world’s first oyster sommelier certification program.
This ‘free-range’ concept was initially developed 24 years ago by Netherlands native Matijn Wijn, who created the concept of a mobile oyster shucking, including the whole outfit with the leather apron and buckets. Matijn quite enjoyed his role as a mobile shucker; he loved to chat with folks and to educate people about oysters and he really started connecting with guests while opening a fresh oyster on the spot.
Not surprisingly, his Oystertainment® was an overnight success and since then he has grown the company; he and his team of oystertainers now rove around shucking bivalves across the world in the NL, Belgium, London, Italy and New York.
Here in NYC the business is run by Angelique van der Made, who moved here from the Netherlands almost 9 years ago to set up Oystertainment’s Red Oyster USA. And it has been growing since with Oystertainers in NYC, NJ, Philly, Boston, and DC.
Her teams of Oysterainers are amazing – many of them are stage and screen actors by day, oyster shuckers by night, so they are very good at the entertainment part of the job. And the oysters they shuck are stunning. Ehether plump and creamy, or minerally and briny, they grown by a handpicked group of farmers who’ve workd with Red Oyster over the years to grow oysters of superior and consistent quality and exquisite taste. Their oyster farmers ship crates of crops every night to their suppliers in Brooklyn,Boston, or DC so the oysters are always fresh. They’re not buying from any middlemen; they do all the sourcing directly with the farms. It makes a difference.
Shuckers serve their oysters anyway you like ‘em: naked, with a squeeze of lemon, a hit of hot sauce, or one of four of their signature mignonettes, and they can also share a bit about the oyster’s terroir and farm so you get an oyster and an education.
They recently added caviar to their repertoire – what they call Caviartainment – so you can get a dollop of caviar on your oyster or on a blini with some crème fraiche or a little bump. You pick the type of caviar you like; they offer different price tiers for imported and local caviar.
Here’s the thing: I just love Red Oyster’s Oystertainment – it really adds something dynamic and out of the ordinary to a party, and it also supports small local farmers and a slew of artists and creatives working in the field. It’s a win-win for all.
If you’re interested in hiring an Oystertainer for your summer soiree, reach out to Angelique and be sure to mention The Strong Buzz and you’ll get 10% off!