BBC names Gloucestershire business in food hero awards
By Andrew Merrell | 19th April 2018
No stranger to great catches salmon champion Severn and Wye Smokery is looking to reel in its second big award of the year.
The Chaxhill smokery, which started life in 1989 an effort to promote salmon from the area, has evolved and expanded and just walked away with the artisan category in the Delicious Magazine produce awards.
Still busy clearing a space on the mantlepiece for the award at its new restaurant The Barn, the business has now learned it is shortlisted in the sought-after BBC Food and Farming Awards.
"It has all happened so quickly," said Greg Nicholson, culinary director at the Forest of Dean operation started by Richard (pictured) and Shirley Cook.
He is referring to the three years since work started to The Barn which has grown through word and mouth - reaching far enough afield for the BBC to come calling.
"We are excited. We only opened the restaurant in October following the three-year renovation, so to be nominated after seven months is great news."
The Barn houses a food hall, café, fish restaurant, gift shop, smokery and what the business describes as one of the country's finest fresh fish counters, known as the Fish Market.
The café and restaurant menus are predominantly fish based but the business also has "a great local butcher who supplies us with his 28-day dry-aged Longhorn cattle, Gloucestershire Old Spot pork, Cotswolds lamb and chickens".
"The food hall is stocked with products created on site in the smokery or by our team of chefs, such as, smoked salmon, gravadlax, pates, quiche, salads, fishcakes, and puddings," said a spokesman for the Severn and Wye Smokery, which this year has also added a cookery school.
Clients include Selfridges, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, The Ritz, The Savoy, Gordon Ramsey and it supplies markets in the UK, Europe, US, Middle East and the Far East.
Mr Cook has also remained passionately involved in protecting and growing the glass eels stocks in the River Severn.
Judges of the BBC Food and Farming Awards include Giorgio Locatelli and Radio 4 Food Programme presenter Sheila Dillon.
The retail award will be judged by Gill Meller, chef, writer and River Cottage tutor, and award-winning writer Joanna Blythman.
The Gloucestershire business is up against Peace & Loaf Bakery(Cumbria) and The Sussex Peasant (Brighton) in the Best Shop or Market category.
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