Love oysters? Love wine? Then mark your calendar for the English Wine Week Festival on Sunday 29th June where you may just spot local businessman Warren Kerley at the oyster shucking station. He turns out to be a rather multifaceted tour de force.

Warren is the founder of Tank2Create, a Henley-based design and marketing agency specialising in branding, digital marketing, and creative campaigns. Beyond his agency work, he’s also a highly regarded contemporary artist, known for his bold and expressive abstract pieces. His recent exhibition, On Reflection at the River & Rowing Museum showcased his personal artworks, which are deeply influenced by a near-drowning experience from his childhood.

And then there’s his lifelong love of oysters. Raised in Hastings with the salty sea air all around him, Warren developed a passion for shellfish early on, so much so that he now calls his obsession a 40-year affair. Whenever he could, he found himself indulging in seafood, especially oysters.

So when renowned seafood chef Mark Hix called for competitors for his Oyster Opening competition in Lyme Regis, Warren couldn’t resist and hot footed it there with his oyster knife in hand. He competed to see who could shuck the most oysters in two minutes, with a meal for two at The Oyster & Fish House up for grabs.

After opening oodles of oysters throughout the heats he landed in the final and took home the trophy having shucked 16 clean, ready to eat oysters in two minutes, shattering the previous record of six. Warren more than earned his ‘Mother Shucker’ title.

If you want to see Warren in action, head down to Henley Market Place on Sunday, 29th June for the English Wine Week Festival, where he’ll be serving up Wright Brothers oysters at the shucking station.

Oysters will be available in sets of 3, 6, or 12, with a choice of traditional shallot dressing, Bloody Mary dressing, or chimichurri. And of course, they pair beautifully with an exceptional local English Sparkling Wine.

Tasting tickets are available to purchase in advance for collection from Pavilion Foods on the day. Secure your tickets here

If you’ve ever wanted to master the art of oyster shucking and dressing, stay tuned as an Experience Henley Social Club oyster shucking masterclass is on its way! Keep your eyes peeled for more details soon.