“You can’t separate the artisan food business in Ireland from our geography… our landscape is at the heart of what we create. What we have in Ireland is wonderful raw material and we have the skills to bring those raw materials on, through husbandry”

FRANK HEDERMAN

FRANK HEDERMAN 

Ireland's wild Atlantic coastline, clean waters, and rich fishing heritage provide the inspiration and exceptional raw ingredients behind our artisan seafood. 

Since 1982 we have been producing traditional Irish smoked salmon and speciality smoked seafood, applying  experience and self-taught craftsmanship to the best raw ingredients. 

From Irish wild Atlantic salmon and organically farmed salmon to wild Irish mackerel and eel, we believe that exceptional seafood begins with immaculate raw ingredients. 

FROM WILD IRISH SALMON TO ORGANIC IRISH SALMON FROM THE WEST COAST.

Sourcing the finest quality fish from responsible and sustainable local and Irish suppliers has always been central to our philosophy.

When we began smoking salmon in 1982, wild Irish salmon was abundant, and Frank smoked exclusively wild salmon caught at sea. Since the introduction of the drift-net fishing ban in 2006, we have focussed on organically farmed Irish fish, sourced from some of the most remote locations alond Ireland's Atlantic coast, and an increasingly rare supply of wild fish caught by draft net in season. 

TRADITIONAL WILD IRISH SALMON - RIVER LEE, COUNTY CORK

Traditional draft-net fishing is a centuries-old Irish fishing method that continues today. Fishermen use nets cast in a loop from the shore to catch wild salmon in the estuary of the River Lee in County Cork, providing an important seasonal income for generations of local fishing families. 

From June to July, we buy wild salmon caught by local fishermen. The season has been curtailed, fishing quotas are tightly controlled, and stocks are monitored from year to year to help protect wild salmon populations. 

The 2026 season has been encouraging, with fishermen reportig healthy abundant fish. We have also been working with Inland Fisheries Ireland on genetic sampling of wild fish as they are landed, contributing to a greater understanding of these important fish populations. 

IRISH ORGANIC SALMON - SUSTAINABLY FARMED ON THE WILD ATLANTIC COAST

Throughout the year, we also source premium, organically farmed Irish salmon Ireland from producers on Ireland's west coast. 

Unlike large-scale salmon production common in parts of Scotland and Norway, Irish salmon farming operates on a much smaller scale. Ireland’s exclusively organic  salmon farms collectively account for a tiny proportion of Europe's fresh salmon. production. 

We believe that Ireland's exposed Atlantic coastline and traditional approach to husbandry create excellent conditions for producing salmon of oustanding quality. 

We source only the finest grade salmon from experienced Irish producers. We are proud of our association with Gallagher Brothers, a family fishing business with a heritage spanning more than a century. They also supply us with our exceptional mackerel. 

WHAT MAKES IRISH ORGANIC SALMON DIFFERENT?

The condition in which salmon are raised have a direct influence on the quality of the finished fish. 

Our suppliers farm salmon in the exposed Altantic sites off the west coast, where strong ocean currents and low stocking densities encourage healthy fish with toned, firm flesh. These conditions are also important in reducing the risk of disease and environmental degradation.

The salmon are fed a natural marine and vegetal diet, free from genetically modified ingredients and chemical additives or preservatives,. They are matured for a minimum of three years. 

The result is beautifully flavourful fish with firm muscle tone, and a naturally lean texture, making it particulalry suitable for our traditional hanging and smoking process.

Fish are harvested in the spring and summer months, gutted and blast frozen at -40C to preserve their quality and integrity. This carefully managed approach also protects our supply from the unpredictability of Atlantic weather, particularly during the busy Christmas season.

TRADITIONAL IRISH SMOKED SALMON - SMALL BATCH PRODUCTION

Our artisan smoked salmon is produced in small batches in our traditional smoke house, where every stage of the process is handmade.

The salmon sides are filleted and cured. using a pure, dry-salt cure. The salt draws out moisture, kills any bacteria, flavours the fish and acts as a natural preservative. 

Once cured, the sides are washed and hung individually on tenterhooks, or strung by the tail. We allow each batch to hang and smoke for as long as they need, rather than following an automated production schedule. 

Our traditional hanging method demands the very highest quality raw ingredients. Fish that lack the firmness, muscle tone and natural integrity required simply cannot withstand the process. For us, this is the ultimate test of the quality of the salmon we buy.

In turn, we are confident that the unique conditions of our smoke house, our hanging tradition, and the experience and skills in-house, make the fish the very best it can be, with a character and quality that is truly standout.

For more information about our smoking method, please visit SmokeHouse

HAND MADE IRISH SMOKED SALMON - CRAFTED BY SKILLED HANDS

When we say hand made, we mean genuinely hand made.

Experienced craftspeople, rather than automated machinery, fillet each salmon side by hand in preparation for the curing process. 

We deliberately retain the skin and the collar bone as these contribute to the flavour and provide the natural structure needed for our traditional hanging process. 

After curing and smoking, we trim and pin bone by hand. It is a slower, more considered approach, but one which helps preserve the delicate texture and natural quality of the fish. 

We offer judicious cuts which retain the natural structure and integrity of each smoked salmon side, minimising waste while protecting the quality of the finished product.

The quality is visible in the healthy appearance of the skin and the firmness of the lean flesh. Leaving the skin on gives complete transparency.

Similar quality simply cannot be achieved with industrially processed fish. Our approach is a world away from mass-produced salmon pummeled by machinery, excessively trimmed and sliced, interwoven with plastic.

It is the skill of our people, the quality of our fish and the care taken at every stage that make our Irish smoked salmon so very distinctive. 

WILD IRISH MACKEREL - CAUGHT AT SEA - N.E. ATLANTIC

Our commitment to sourcing excellent raw materials extends beyond salmon. We believe that wild Irish mackerel properly handled and carefully prepared, is one of the finest seafood products Ireland has to offer. 

Our Irish smoked mackerel is wild, seasonal fish, caught by Gallagher Brothers trawlers in the Atlantic Sea during the winter months. 

We select winter mackerel as they are not actively feeding, giving the fish an excellent flavour that is less acidic, and texture that is less oily than other smoked mackerel. 

The freshly-caught mackerel are frozen at sea to preserve their integrity as naturally as possible. This careful handling allows us to offer smoked wild Irish mackerl throughout the year.

WILD IRISH EEL - TRADITIONALLY SOURCED FROM LOUGH NEAGH

Our wild eels are sourced from Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-operative in Northern Ireland, an organisation dedicated to supportng local fishermen and protecting the future of traditional eel fishing.

We buy mature silver eels, caught in traps on the River Bann during the fleetingly short fishing season. The eels are purchased in season frozen whole, unsmoked, allowing us to prepare and smoke them fresh to order throughout the year.

We smoke our eel whole, on the bone, before selling it whole or in unfilleted pieces in our local shops and markets. 

Smoked eel is generally available, although we tend to smoke to order so that customers receive it as fresh as possible.

If you would like to order traditional smoked Irish eel, please contact us directly by email. Please note that it is not permitted to send eel outside the European Union. 

"We are a Co-operative, protecting the livelihood of fishermen and building a sustainable, viable future for fishing on Lough Neagh.”

IRELAND - A TRADITION OF EXCEPTIONAL SEAFOOD 

Our approach to artisan seafood is rooted in the belief that great food begins with great raw ingredients.

From organically farmed Irish Atlantic salmon and seasonal wild salmon to wild mackerel and traditional smoked eel, we work with generational fishermen and producers who share our respect for the sea and its resources.

Drawing on Ireland's exceptional natural environment and using genuinely traditional smoking methods and small batch, handmade production by highly skilled craftsmen, we continue to celebrate the very best of Irish seafood.