Oyster Week: Introducing Patrick McMurray

All this week we bring you nothing but oysters with legendary shucker Patrick McMurray, owner of Starfish Oyster Bed & Grill (100 Adelaide St. West) and Ceili Cottage (1301 Queen St. East). I’ve been visiting Starfish for several years now, and part of the allure (in addition to the amazing oyster selection) is sitting at the bar for the education, entertainment and laughs provided by Patrick.

Thanks to an exclusive interview with the man better known as Shucker Paddy, all this week he’ll reminisce about his first oyster, teach us how to throw an oyster party at home and share tips on coaching someone through their first oyster. First up, learn more about the guy who holds the Guinness World Record for most oysters shucked in a minute.

When you sit near his shucking station, it’s hard not to notice Patrick’s strange assortment of knives. On my first visit, he happily showed me his blade and talked about how he’s been creating custom handles that form to his hand. Last week while talking about the 100 prototypes he’s made, we discovered we hold similar degrees (his in Bachelor in Physical & Health Education, mine in Kinesiology) so we geeked out a bit about ergonomics, torque, energy expenditure and design. All you really need to know is that Patrick has just started selling his own ShuckerPaddy Knife ($30 at Starfish & Ceili Cottage) that will make shucking oysters easier and safer.

An aptly named companion product is the ShuckerPaddy’s All Canadian Shuckin’ Cloth ($15, or $40 with the knife) which should be used to hold the oyster in place and protect your hand while shucking. It includes useful instructions on how to shuck an oyster, where to place the oyster in the cloth, demystifies the anatomy of an oyster and explains tasting notes for five different species.

Patrick’s shuckin’ station at Starfish is a magical corner and I’d say the stools directly opposite are the best seats in the house. If you ask nicely, I’m sure he’ll show you the video on his iphone filmed in Beijing, China, on the set of a Guinness World Records TV Special on May 21, 2010. You’ll watch him break the world record by shucking 38 oysters in a minute and watch him run out of oysters with six seconds left. He guesses he could have opened 44 or 45. The previous record holder? Well, that was Patrick too, with 33.



The bookshelf on the left holds a real gem that he’ll also proudly share, a personal photo book of the trip he took to Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. Patrick was invited by the Global Knife Company to consult on a professional line of knives and managed to squeeze in two trips to the famous market at 3am. He’s written captions for every photo and it’s a treat to flip through.

So yes, Starfish has a ton of oysters. Yes, they’re all good. Yes, there can be over seven varieties on any given day and fresh scallops too. But the real reason to visit Starfish is to sit at the bar and meet the Shucker Paddy himself.

TOMORROW: Patrick reveals everything you need to know about hosting an oyster party at home.

Starfish Oyster Bed & Grill / 100 Adeleaide St. East
416 366 7827