Springs Oyster Farmer Invents a New Shucking Device

The much-ballyhooed oyster revival on the East End has been led by independent oyster farmers whose passion for the precious bivalve is replenishing our local waters. 

One such farmer is John Nicholas, who waited years for town approval to build a large-scale oyster farm on his property at Sunset Cove Marina. The marshy, muddy inlet — literally in Nicholas’ backyard — combines with waters from both a freshwater source and the Atlantic ocean to create a rich marine environment Nicholas said is “perfect” for growing oysters.

The marina’s picturesque setting is now the home of East Hampton Oyster Company, which currently consists of five floating upweller systems, known as flupsys, where a million baby oysters eat and sleep and grow.

It’s a long game, however, as the slow-growing oysters are on track for a robust harvest in December 2024. That’s not a problem for Nicholas, who’s in it for the long haul and intends to expand his farm.

“It’s peaceful here, there’s beautiful bird watching, it’s quiet, there’s no one around. It’s a huge advantage being right here, I have water, electricity and my home all right here. It takes years to become profitable, but my passion’s in it and I love oysters and I’m always trying to improve things.”

But the upstart farm is only part of his story. Nicholas, like many others, had some time on his hands during COVID. A retired Wall Streeter, he was instructing his nephew on how to properly shuck one of the stubborn bivalves when it dawned on him how easily things can go very wrong.

“I wrapped my hand around the towel, and [my nephew] had the knife and he opened the oyster, but I realized at that point how stupid this idea was — it’s very dangerous,” said Nicholas, 57. “I’m like why does my hand have to be there? Why can’t I just take my hand out of the equation? Why don’t they just make some kind of device that holds it down?”

An innovator by nature, Nicholas went to work coming up with answers to his questions. During an intense period of research and development — all done from his basement workshop in Springs crammed to the ceiling with tools, parts, and pieces — he filed 46 patents, and in the process created a device that helps to open oysters safely and easily without risk of maiming yourself.

It’s called the East Hampton Shucker. It’s a kind of precision-fitted clamp that takes the risk out opening and eating the ‘jewel of the sea.’ Nicholas said the Shucker, which comes in several varieties, will make the process of growing, buying, and eating oysters more accessible to the general public, while at the same time having a “multiplier” effect on the local ecosystem.

“It helps people open the oyster in a very safe way, so that anyone can do it, and it allows people that couldn’t open oysters to open oysters,” he said. “More oysters consumed will encourage more oyster farmers to put more money into their farms, and that will encourage other investments in oyster farms, which would then result in more oysters in the water, which would then clean more waterways.”

The key component of the device comes back to avoiding having to avoid holding an oyster down with your hand. “Without our device, you have a towel, you’re holding the oyster, your hand is right there, the oyster is slippery, the knife is slippery,” said Nicholas. “The oyster does not want to be opened. We’ve made a more efficient device to open oysters so that you can use more force without the risk of injury and it is much easier.”

Which is welcome news if you want to shuck oysters from home, serve them quicker and more efficiently in your restaurant, or just simply have the option to have oysters on the menu or as part of your dinner party without needing a trained shucker.

However, mitigating risk and increasing demand for oysters are only a few of the Shucker’s selling points. The product is also a more complete way to enjoy the total oyster experience, since hand-shucking often results in the loss of precious brine, sometimes called oyster liquor, and can also scramble the cherished meat a local farmer has gone to great lengths to get to your plate. 

While Nicholas tends to his farm — it’s a daily, labor-intensive process keeping a million baby oysters happy and healthy and strong — he’s been getting word out about The Shucker.

Currently, it’s being used commercially by restos like Moby’s, Rosie’s, and 75 Main; it’s also available for purchase at Bostwick’s on the Harbor and The Seafood Shoppe, as well as online at easthamptonshucker.com/shop, where you can find oyster accessories and related decor that make living the East End oyster life a breeze; the website also offers oyster enrichment and recipes that will doubtless impress guests at your next soiree.

Ultimately, Nicholas said he envisions East Hampton Oyster Company being a one-stop-shop for all things oyster-related. 

The Shucker, meanwhile, helped Moby’s put oysters on the menu this summer, Nicholas said — and the Hamptons hotspot ended up shucking three hundred a night. “That would never happen the traditional way,” said Nicholas. “You can’t just show a person 300 oysters and say ok you shuck 300 oysters without ever having opened an oyster. We’re rolling in those kinds of [restaurants] that want to serve oysters, but don’t have the staff … my product allows anyone to open an oyster.” 

While the parts for the Shucker device are built overseas, Nicholas assembles them into the finished product from his East Hampton workshop, meaning the product is truly East Hampton-made. “I actually dreamed that one day I wanted to invent something in my garage,” said Nicholas, who said he took inspiration from famous inventors who started something big from scratch in their home, like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. 

He also harbors plans to continue innovating in the field of oyster farming by creating more automated and efficient ways to tend to a large-scale harvest.

“I love oysters, and I love them more than boats,” he said about his decision to convert the marina into an oyster farm. “I like oysters better than most. Plus, the growth of the oysters is just tremendous here. There’s very little mortality, they keep on growing so well … they’re just fantastic oysters.”

For more info, visit easthamptonshucker.com