 Nearly 30 years ago we dragged and pulled the first smoking kiln into position at Bridport with the purpose of smoking a few trout reared in the heart of the West Dorset countryside. Over the years and after much trial and error, Mackerel, the Herring, the Eel, the Salmon, the Prawn and the Haddock have all taken their place in the smoke to emerge as smoked delicacies
Annual Update From Patrick Silver turns to Gold was the press release caption on our recent Great Taste Award achievement. In more ways than one our humble eel has become like gold dust. Eels have always been shrouded in a degree of mystery and there is always some debate as to whether our slimy friend concludes its long journey to breed in the Sargasso Sea, or does it breed elsewhere? Which route does it take? (You never see them travelling along the M1) Londoners have for generations thrived on eel and jellied eels, but will these nutritious recipes be threatened by the dearth of this enchanting fish. Regrettably the shortfall in supply is reflected in the price, but to compensate the eel’s rich flavour and the fat exuded on smoking silver eels aids the moist succulence which lends itself to them being an ideal smoking fish. The eel is not alone in becoming an endangered species. In our thirty years of trading we have seen a decline in the availability of both cod roe and wild salmon but for different reasons. Whereas cod roe is affected by quotas in the catches of cod, wild salmon has merely become scarce. Once again these two delicacies can be compared to gold dust. Our intrepid photographers, David and Garry, have been busy again trying to capture unusual shots as we prance around the sands at West Bay. For some of us the poses this year are slightly more dignified and centre stage was reserved more for the products than people. Despite some early problems our website www.bridfish.co.uk is now looking more professional and the new photographs compliment the quality of produce. 2007 has seen mixed fortunes at the farmers markets and food fairs. The spring and early summer produced some marvellous weather and attending the various outdoor events was a pleasure. However our summer, which never arrived, made it hard going. One such notable weekend was that of our local food festival when the heavens opened, the mud was almost knee high and the meadow quickly became a bog. That was not quite such a pleasure! Our catalogue includes many of the regular items as well as a selection of gift boxes to suit different tastes. Please feel free to exchange products if you so wish. Instead of our Open Day this year we invite you to our weekly tasting days on every Friday and Saturday throughout November. A number of different Smokery products will be available for tasting. We welcome those of you new to the Smokery and thank old and new customers for your support and wish you many hours of happy eating Yours faithfully Patrick and the Bridfish team |
