Fastest oyster shucker in U.S. is Panama City native. He's featured in a new documentary.
Honor Allen was 12 years old when he shucked his first oyster, and little did he know it was the start of a blissful journey that would lead him to championship titles.
Shucking oysters started as a hobby for the Panama City native. He spent most of his time in St. Andrews learning about the oyster industry and eventually landed his first job at Hunt's Oyster Bar as an oyster shucker.
It wasn't long after he started working to realize oyster shucking was something he wanted to take a step further. So he entered a local oyster shucking competitions to challenge himself and perfect his craft.
And the more he shucked, the faster he got. Now Allen, at 28, claims the championship title as the fastest oyster shucker in the nation.
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'Honor's Best' documentary
Allen's performance never went unnoticed. In fact, producers from the Method & Madness film crew have traveled around the world with him to document his adventures competing in national and international competitions.
"It's amazing just they were able to highlight my journey through competitions and my life as an oyster shucker," Allen said. "I'm really thankful I had that opportunity and excited for it to premiere. It's an experience I will never forget."
Honor's Best features his journey of competing in oyster shucking competitions in national and worldwide settings. Filmmakers spent four years following his ventures to dive deeper into his career as an oyster shucker champion.
The documentary is set to release soon and will be available on Apple TV, Google Play and Amazon Prime Video streaming platforms.
U.S. National Oyster Shucking Champion
Allen entered his first competition in 2013. After that, he often competed in local competitions before expanding his horizons to national contests.
He is preparing for the U.S. National Oyster Shucking Championship Contest, which takes place in Lexington Park, Maryland, on Oct. 15 to 16. He currently holds a four-year champion title as the fastest oyster shucker in the competition. Thirty shuckers from about 20 states will compete in this year's competition and as the defending champion, Allen will automatically advance to the finals.
In late September, he took second place in the world oyster opening championship at Ireland's Galway International Oyster & Seafood Festival. He described it as one of the most rewarding opportunities.
"It's such a huge event and to place so high in a competition against very proficient competitors is a blessing for me," Allen said.
Allen has also participated in competitions in China, Connecticut and Louisiana.
Practice makes perfect
For Allen, there's no better way to build on his skill than to be a full-time oyster shucker. He currently works at Dat Cajun Place in Panama City Beach, where he can cater to the local community.
Oyster bar manager at Dat Cajun Place Joshua Woodworth, who has worked alongside Allen for many years, said he could not be more proud of his hard work.
"He took everything we taught him and perfected it. I've watched him grow up, and to see what he's done just makes me so proud," Woodworth said. "He's come a long way to get where he is today and we can't be happier for him."
The oyster shucking champ aims to continue competing in national and worldwide competitions, including events in Sweden and Canada. His ultimate goal is to own an oyster farm.
"I'm grateful I can represent Dat Cajun Place and my hometown," Allen concluded. "I look forward to more competitive oyster shucking in my life and growing in the business and community."
This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Florida national oyster shucking champ Honor Allen is in new film
