What are the rules?

Each competitor will be required to open 30 oysters. He/She will receive a sealed box of oysters on stage and should ensure it contains 30 oysters prior to the start.

The boxes will be allocated to the competitors by lottery and each competitor’s tray will bear a code number- for fairness.

The oysters must be opened on the board provided and presented on the tray provided, nothing else can be used for presentation purposes.

The competitors must present their oysters face upwards.

In opening the oysters, the competitor will only use a knife, a cloth, and any board supplied by the Committee. The competitor cannot use any support, holder, or, any other implement whatsoever. The Oyster Knives must also be approved by the Judges.

Each competitor must indicate that they are finished, by ringing the handbell provided. The competitor must not touch the tray after ringing this bell or disqualification may result.

 Each competitor will be requested to carry their own tray of oysters to the judge’s tent, and they will be responsible for the safety of their tray up to that point.

The Judges will examine the trays of oysters with the following points in mind:- Good appearance, well-opened, without flaws. Totally severed from the shell. Mussel intact – not torn, cut, sliced, wounded, and without blood. Orderly and neat appearance.

The following penalty points may be imposed:-
a) An oyster not severed from its shell – 4 points
b) An oyster with blood – 30 points
c) An oyster with shell or grit on its flesh – 4 points
d) An oyster, the flesh of which is cut or sliced – 4 points
e) An oyster not presented upright – 4 points
f) For each oyster not opened or presented – 30 points

(If an oyster shell is presented empty, or the flesh only is presented, the oyster will be deemed, not to have been presented).

Points are awarded primarily for the speed of opening 30 oysters. Judges award bonus points for the presentation of the tray of opened oysters. A bonus of from 1 to 30 points is awarded by the Judges at their discretion for a tray of oysters that are presented in a neat and orderly manner. The test for the Judges is how attractive the tray would look for a customer in a hotel or restaurant.

The winner will be determined by the lowest combined time, bonus and penalties. In the event of a draw, the competitor with the lower penalty shall be deemed the winner. If they are still equal the competitor with the highest bonus award will be declared the winner. The judges will also award a prize for the best presentation based on the highest bonus awarded.