‘You could absolutely rip your bloody hand off’: competitors gather for England oyster shucking championship

The winner of the Speed Shucking Oyster Open will represent England at next weekend’s World Oyster Opening Championships in Ireland. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian

Beneath bunting in the middle of Mayfair, there was a feverish atmosphere as the finals of potentially the poshest sport in England began: oyster shucking, judged by actor Stanley Tucci.

“The secret is not being scared of stabbing yourself in the hand,” says Quincy Coulter Young from Rocks Oysters, one of the fastest oyster shuckers in the country.