The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word BOOTBLACK
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
B
O
O
T
B
L
A
C
K
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "individual offering a shine" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case individual offering a shine = bootblack.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BOOTBLACK mean?
BOOTBLACK noun- A shoeshine boy; a person who shines shoes as an occupation.
- To shine shoes.