The Smokery and Smoking Process

Started 25 years ago with just one smokebox, this family business has become one of the biggest mailorder houses in Scotland. Inverawe products can be easily recognised by their gorgeous smokey, full-bodied flavour.

Robert and Rosie have always insisted on revering the old-age traditional way of smoking still practised at Inverawe.

Although this way is more time consuming and labour intensive, the end result surpasses all expectations.

With over 80 products the Inverawe Web pages and catalogue offers an extremely extensive list and efficient delivery service.

Smoking is one of the oldest ways of preserving foods and at Inverawe we have conserved the old ways, to retain the real taste of properly smoked Scottish fish. There are two stages:

Stage 1: Brining and preparing

This stage one is as important as the smoking. The fish must be in prime condition and the brining strictly adhered to.

At this stage you can have fun adding herbs, different seasoning, wine to see if it enhances the product - hence the many secret recipes passed down through the generations.

At Inverawe we too have our guarded recipes, but our real secret is our insistance in only starting with the very, very best of fish. A smoked fish is only as good as the one you start with.

Stage 2: The Smoking

In the old style brick smokeboxes the fires are kept going 24 hours a day, releasing warm smokey air which gradually dries the fish. As it does so, the smoke naturally preserves the fish. The food will acquire its faintly 'fruity' flavour, so difficult to describe but instantly recognised by its taste. Genuinely cured food has it, while so much of the merely smoke-flavoured food has not.

The whole smoking process can take anything from 24 to 48 hours. Each smokebox 'smokes' slightly differently and it is the craftsmanship and experience of Derek our chief smoker who determines when it is ready. The outside influences - wind, temperature, rain, sunshine all have to be taken into account.

COLD SMOKING. The cold smokebox is partitioned off from the fire with a vent controlling the smoke intake. It is mainly for salmon and trout fillets. The temperature never goes above 30C and the fish is gently smoked for 24 to 48 hours.

HOT SMOKING. The hot smokebox is immediately above the fire. Being closer to the heat of the fires it smokes and cooks the fish giving an all new flavour and melt in the mouth texture. Our Award winning Flaky Roast Smoked Salmon is a must. The products are usually cold smoked overnight and then hot-smoked in the morning, when the fire lid is taken off and the product is cooked.