Fast Company: ‘Oyster sommelier’ is now a job, thanks to this new oyster-education program (feat. Crave Fishbar)
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Jeremy Benson (Photo: Crave Fishbar)
When Jeremy Benson approaches a restaurant table as a sommelier, he’s prepared to talk about what you might expect: flavor profile, geography, terroir, and mouthfeel. Sometimes, he takes down a map from the wall to illustrate the origin of different varietals from across the globe.
But Benson, general manager of New York City’s Crave Fishbar, is not imparting advice about wine. He’s been summoned to talk about, well, oysters. He’s one of the first people in the world to obtain a Level 2 Oyster Specialist certification from the newly created Oyster Master Guild. In January, he hopes to become the world’s first official oyster sommelier.
Julie Qiu cofounded Oyster Master Guild (OMG) last year with Patrick McMurray, a restaurateur, inventor, and culinary educator, who holds three Guinness Book Records for oyster shucking (for one, he shucked 1,114 oysters in one hour). Qiu is an international oyster expert and educator, founder of the oyster-focused website, In a Half Shell, and author of 33 Oysters on the Half Shell.
Based in New York City, OMG is a for-profit oyster-education company dedicated to creating better oyster experiences through education and by cultivating a community of oyster stewards. The professional certification program, which OMG launched last summer, is meant to fill a gap Qiu and McMurray see in the restaurant industry. “This is the first time this has been done,” says Qiu, explaining that “in the business of oysters, knowledge is power. Having this training unlocks meaningful earning potential as an employee, entrepreneur, or foodservice leader.”