Our team of Oystertainers®
Our oystershuckers (or Oystertainers as we call them) are passionate about their craft. With their energy, enthusiasm, and unique personalities, they’ll bring you skills, knowledge, and the very best oysters.
Matijn
Passionate
Sidney
Enthusiastic
Rick
Entertaining
Olivia
Sympathetic
Tito
Fashionista
Cameron
Foodie
Jade
Careful
Gray
Charming
Lianne
Friendly
Molly
Energetic
Haydn
Entertaining
Angelique
Dedicated
Lee
Joyful
Mahnaz
Perfectionist
Kiara
Driven
History
Starting in the Netherlands in 2000, company founder and inventor of mobile raw bar, Matijn Wijn was the first professional oysterman to open fresh oysters on the spot at parties and events. Driven by his great passion for oysters, he created an innovative raw bar, and built a whole experience around the oysters that he loved.
From its start and to this day, Red Oyster (or Oestercompagnie as we’re called in The Netherlands!) has been a family owned business. Juliëtte, Matijn’s wife and business parter, is director of marketing and business development. You can even encounter one of their 3 sons as a professional oysterman!
Red Oyster has crossed many borders since we started all those years ago. The enduring love and enthusiasm for oysters of oysterman Matijn, has prompted him to bring Oystertainment® to locations throughout the world, with offices in the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and the US.
Our team behind the scenes
Oysters are fascinating – I can talk about oysters for hours. I had the idea of roving oystershuckers because I enjoyed working with great oysters and great people, and 20 years later, I still love it. I am proud that the Oystertainment that I invented is still very much alive and kicking! To be an oysterman at different parties or events or to run a big oysterbar at a high end art fair is so much fun. After all these years, and working in different countries, there’s never been a dull moment.
We are in a niche market, and there is always something new to learn or a different way to challenge ourselves. I try new recipes, new concepts, and new business opportunities regularly. It keeps me fresh to keep discovering all the new things in the oyster world!
The world is your oyster.
Matijn Wijn, founder & first mobile oysterman
With Red Oyster I travel a lot to places in Europe and the United States to meet new and inspiring people. It still gives me a kick to see them react with such enthusiasm when I tell the story of our company. An oyster is just an oyster until you make it special; we call this OystertainmentⓇ. You bring the product to life.
I find oysters fascinating because they are quite a paradox. The outside is a hard, resilient shell, and inside lies the soft texture of the oyster. They are eaten warm and cold, by rich and poor, they have numerous books written about them, and famous people have been saying quotable things about them for centuries.
Matijn and I founded Oestercompagnie in the Netherlands and Belgium, and then brought it to other countries as Red Oyster. As head of marketing and branding, the goal of my team is to build an elegant world brand. It all started with the logo of a red oyster. Not everybody understood it, but it reflects our passion for oysters, which everyone can feel, and it’s our global symbol. You can find it, and us, in numerous countries across the world. I couldn’t have imagined 20 years ago that my dreams could become reality. It’s all about oysters!
Juliëtte de Wilde, co founder
Ask me a question about a brand and you have my interest. As a marketing strategist, I know how to use marketing and communication tools effectively and efficiently to build a consistent brand. After a good marketing and management career at Unilever, I am used to working at a high professional level. With my own marketing consultancy company, Made for Marketing, I applied my knowledge and experience to other brands. Since I started working with Oestercompagnie 7 years ago, I have become as passionate about oysters as the rest of the team. As an oysterman or oystergirl, it’s great to experience the positive reactions of our clients when you oystertain. It’s impossible not to have your own enthusiasm sparked by theirs!
Coming as I did from an entrepreneurial family, I was immediately interested by the business potential in the USA. I took the plunge, moved from The Netherlands to the US and set up Red Oyster USA. I’m delighted that we’re making more oyster lovers everyday!
Angelique van der Made, cofounder Red Oyster US
