We have some seriously delicious smoked trout available from Chalk Stream Foods this Christmas and it’s worth giving trout serious consideration instead of smoked salmon this year.
The award-winning (2 gold stars) cold smoked trout is finely sliced and available in packs of 100g, 200g and whole sides (minimum 450g) from £33/kg. The hot smoked trout is also fantastic and I would recommend the large slices which have a proper bite to them. These cost £5.75 per pack. Finally their pate is also award-winning and available at £5.25 a tub. Make sure to order a pack this Christmas as a special treat.
We had some for our tasting evening and the trout was hugely popular. The reasons for choosing trout over salmon this Christmas are threefold:
- It’s an outstanding Hampshire product that’s local, has a fine heritage from the chalkstreams and supports a great local business
- It’s delicious, on a par with the best smoked salmon, and can be simply prepared with lemon juice and pepper, or in a variety of recipes.
- It’s sustainable, farmed in it’s natural environment to the highest welfare standards without routine antibiotics.
For the full information, here is what Chalk Stream foods have to say about it:
Harvested by hand in Hampshire, Chalk Stream Trout are a quintessential British fish that is a sustainable, delicious and healthy option.
Hampshire is home to Chalk Stream Foods and the trout revival. The secret to these beautiful trout are the world-famous Chalk Streams, the Test and Itchen. Spring water that has been filtered through the chalk downland into underground aquifers feed these rivers. The water is rated class A by the Environment Agency, the highest achievable grade.
The fast-flowing ‘gin clear’ water provides the perfect environment to rear Chalk Stream Trout. Not only does this give them an exceptionally clean taste but the high flows mean they are very lean. Constant swimming replicates their natural habitat and gives them great muscle definition and low fat in the belly
and flesh.All the trout are reared from 100% British fry. In the two years it takes to reach the size of 2.5 to 3 kilos, the trout’s every need is tended to by Farm manager, Pete and his team. Their diligent attention to the welfare and husbandry ensures the highest quality and sustainability. Chalk Streams are unique environments. With just over 200 in the world, 98% of them are found in England. These rare environments must be respected. Water from the farm goes through settling canals that act like giant gravity filters ensuring when it flows back into the river it is still class A rated. This is strictly monitored by the Environment Agency.
Trout from Chalk Stream Foods is MCS rated 1 and certified by Freedom Food, Global Gap and the British Trout association. It has also been awarded ‘great taste producer’ status. Available from wholesalers across the country we can offer our Chalk Stream Trout whole, filleted or portioned along with our newly
launched cold and hot smoked trout as well.