STAAL SMOKEHOUSE
Working collaboratively is hugely important to us, and we’re particularly proud of our journey with Staal Smokehouse and the products we create with them. It was back in 2014 when we first launched our Oak Smoked Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil, and this multi award winning oil has been coveted by you ever since. It was only right that we took some time to chat with both Justin & Georgina of this award-winning, family run artisan business, dedicated to producing the most amazing smoked fish, meat and poultry products.
But first, a little background for you! Prior to setting up the business, Justin spent a decade working in a niche sector of the luxury travel industry arranging bespoke high-end holidays for avid fly fishermen and women. The work took him from Russia’s Kola Peninsula to the sand flats of the Seychelles, satisfying a wanderlust as well as an extreme passion for fishing, so I wanted to find out if prior to this Justin had a foodie background, and what, if anything, had shaped his eventual career in food.
It appeared that Justin had in the past had many different jobs which paved the way to him setting up the Smokehouse. Straight from college he ran front of house and supported the kitchen on a shooting estate in Scotland, followed by a time in the South of France, where he worked as a chef (he used the term very loosely!) preparing breakfasts and lunches on luxury yachts. After obtaining his Masters in Land Economy from Aberdeen, he worked in a restaurant, but more than those experiences, he has always loved food and always loved cooking, so setting up a Smokehouse became an extension of that. Georgina has had no particular foodie background but has always been 100% on the journey with Justin and over the years has got more and more involved in the Smokehouse running the office and marketing, leaving Justin to run the Smokehouse. She plays the glamourous assistant role very well keeping all the balls juggling in the business and at home!
As many do, Justin saw his fondest and earliest memories linked to the food cooked by his mother at home. In particular, Sunday lunches around the dining table at home went down very well. His mother was unfortunately terminally ill as the business launched and she never saw the Smokehouse in full operation, though she was the first person to place an order! Justin does believe that she would be amazed at how far they’ve come, but he would be the first to admit she would think they were barking mad! It does seem that smoking may have always been the plan, as the family, when up in Scotland, would always stop off at a smokehouse owned by a distant relative, so perhaps it was always in the genes!
After living in the Home Counties for a number of years, they came back to Georgina’s hometown after having their first child and wanting to strengthen those family links. It was a stop gap but they have never left!
Talking about family we wanted to find out a bit more about how Justin would go about getting families to try an alternative fish choice. With 80% of the UK's favourite fish being made up of the BIG 5: Tuna, salmon, cod, haddock and prawns, we’re not really showing our true worth. It’s a difficult one to tackle, or is it? As island nation, Justin and Georgina were both shocked by how little we eat fish unless it’s battered! It appears to be a whole other story on the continent. Their attitude to food markets is completely different, along with their access to incredible fish (which we should also have) and eating and cooking together as a family is much more the norm. So, the next generation learn how easy and quick it is to cook fish and are not scared of being presented with what is really the ultimate in fast food.
Justin and Georgina are trying to encourage people to eat more fish and their website features recipes designed to show their fish off in its best light. Getting face to face with your market is another way to educate and get people to try new things, children in particular don’t think they’ll like fish, but with the smokiness it enhances the flavour and texture and you find they are on board immediately!
Justin has obviously adopted Georgina’s home of East Yorkshire and its fabulous food and drink as his own. We wanted to find out what they both think makes Yorkshire such an abundant larder and gives it its strong connections to food and drink? Georgina summed it up perfectly - Yorkshire people are very passionate about Yorkshire! And I think I agree with them!
Both are very collaborative and they are always championing their fellow producers, including ourselves. Justin also smokes our rapeseed oil and it’s a firm favourite with our foodies! They believe they wouldn’t have had the same support in the Home Counties and put this down to a more transient population. Particularly in the rural communities in Yorkshire there’s a lot of old networks. Yorkshire is such an abundant county too, not just because of its size, but its diversity, with cosmopolitan cities, coastline, and untapped areas such as the Wolds on our doorstep, it’s got it all.
This led on to talks further afield than Yorkshire. With Justin’s travels around Russia, the Seychelles, France (the list goes on!),we had to find out if not Yorkshire, where would he choose to live if based solely on its culinary offerings? Well, this took some thinking! If he had to live outside his beloved country, his first thought was a romantic notion to go back to New Zealand. Justin was just 18 when he first spent some time there and then later travelled back there with Georgina. But this would not be his choice based on culinary offerings, that trip would be saved for Argentina! Lamb Asado and a full-bodied Malbec were top of the list for mouthwatering food choices. Though Cuba for Mojitos and Russia for Vodka were mulled over too!
Once food was in the conversation we chatted about ultimate foodie experiences. We were all in agreement that being cooked for and the company you ate with were the most important factors in enjoying that ultimate meal. A burger in a bun, a bottle of wine always taste better with good friends in tow! Their dining area and kitchen have been planned around that very experience, we could just see and hear conversation, good food, excellent wines being part of their night in. Lucky!
Lastly, we wanted to know if Justin still managed to get out fishing and was there a favourite spot in Yorkshire. With their two teenage sons having inherited their father’s passion for fly fishing the annual family holiday took them to the Scottish Boarders for a week on the River Tweed. Sadly, the summer heatwave meant that the week didn’t yield a salmon but plans are already in place to return next year so fingers crossed.
It was great to chat to about their back story and the future of Staal Smokehouse. Their “Dream” was to set up a business that encompassed their passion for food whilst adding diversity to the existing farming enterprise and we think they’ve only gone and done it!
SMOKED DUCK, APPLE & HORSERADISH POTS WITH SMOKED SOURDOUGH TOASTS
As part of our Yorkshire Stories series, it would only be right to team up with Staal Smokehouse to create 3 delicious new party food recipes, perfect for entertaining all year round! Find this delicious smoked duck recipehere.