For John Hathaway, some of life’s best memories begin with lobster bakes around a campfire. Born and raised in Maine (his family was awarded farmland here after fighting in the Revolutionary War), John remembers as a kid cracking lobster shells with family and friends while camping on Maine’s beautiful lakesides and ocean beaches.
Those experiences stayed with him long after childhood and eventually inspired a career dedicated to helping more people experience a delicious Maine lobster in innovative new ways.
“I’m just happy I could be a small part of what makes our state so great and work alongside the people who make it that way,” said John. “The Maine Lobster industry is full of dedicated, hardworking Mainers.”
After opening the Sea Star Grille with his five young children, John found himself drawn back to the food and traditions he had loved growing up. It was there that he began to notice a shift, however, in how customers wanted to experience Maine Lobster.
“People wanted to enjoy Maine Lobster as ‘food’ rather than cracking shells ‘wearing a bib’.”
That realization led to the creation of Shucks Maine Lobster, a Maine lobster processing and distribution company with the logo of “Trap to Table”. After learning about high-pressure processing technology from Kristin Millar, head of the Maine Lobster Promotion Council, and visiting an oyster processor who was using the technology in their facility in New Orleans, John saw an opportunity to introduce innovative new Maine Lobster products to the world market that had never existed before.
John opened his processing facility and installed his now famous “Big Motha Shucker” which allowed him to produce Raw Maine Lobster meat products that high-end chefs could now use when making their own innovative items, rather than having to re-cook cooked Maine lobster meat. John’s new products such as “EZ Shuck Maine Lobster Tails” and “Naked Maine Lobster” were made by extracting the raw meat that was loosened from the shell using water pressure rather than cooking. No heat or chemicals were used.
Before the company even had its first customer, Shucks Maine Lobster won “Best New Seafood Product” in the world at the International Seafood Show in Brussels for its “Naked Maine Lobster” product, celebrated for alleviating the hassle of chefs having to boil and shuck their lobster meat.
“And it just grew from there,” said John.
While innovation has always been central to John’s work, he remains deeply committed to the people who make the Maine Lobster industry possible. From fishermen and lobster dealers to processors and regulators, John believes the success of Maine Lobster has always been built by hardworking Maine people dedicated to protecting the fishery for future generations.
“Maine Lobster is the brand of our state,” said John. “Almost every job in our state is somehow tied to the success of tourism. And as Curt Brown loves to say, ‘people don’t come to Maine to eat chicken’. In fact, I’ve travelled all over the world and everywhere I go, when I say ‘Maine’, they say ‘Lobster’. It’s amazing and should make every person in this industry proud.”
Today, John remains proud not only of the products Shucks Maine Lobster has developed, but also of the opportunities the company has created for employees and communities across the state.
“Above all, I’m just happy that I can help create good jobs for the dedicated, hardworking people who have made Shucks successful, and help our great state.”
While innovation has always been central to John’s work, he remains deeply committed to the people who make the Maine Lobster industry possible. From fishermen and lobster dealers to processors and regulators, John believes the success of Maine Lobster has always been built by hardworking Maine people dedicated to protecting the fishery for future generations.
“Maine Lobster is the brand of our state,” said John. “Almost every job in our state is somehow tied to the success of tourism. And as Curt Brown loves to say, ‘people don’t come to Maine to eat chicken’. In fact, I’ve travelled all over the world and everywhere I go, when I say ‘Maine’, they say ‘Lobster’. It’s amazing and should make every person in this industry proud.”
Today, John remains proud not only of the products Shucks Maine Lobster has developed, but also of the opportunities the company has created for employees and communities across the state.
“Above all, I’m just happy that I can help create good jobs for the dedicated, hardworking people who have made Shucks successful, and help our great state.”
What is the best part of living in Maine?
“Its beauty, the beaches, the mountains, the farms and, above all, the people.”
What makes you proud to go to work every day?
“I’m happy that I can help make the Maine Lobster industry and the state of Maine a little stronger. And, of course, the amazing people I work with every day.”
What is special to you about Maine Lobster or the Maine Lobster fishery?
“Maine Lobster and the Maine Lobster industry is the essence of Maine.”
Meet The People Behind the Fishery
A diverse group of people passionate about Maine and the lobster industry.
