Chefs enjoy the first-ever Salmon Experience tour

“The depth of understanding of the Scottish fish farming industry and its communities came through in a way I hadn’t expected. It was clear that Mowi is one of Scotland’s shining lights – both as a company and through the people behind it,” remarked chef Campbell after spending two days visiting Mowi Scotland’s sites.

Seven incredibly skilled chefs from across the UK joined Mowi Scotland’s Ben Hadfield, Jayne MacKay, Dougie Hunter, Paul Rushforth and James Sibley in late March for the first-ever Salmon Experience. This ambitious two-day tour spanned from the Lochailort hatchery – where Allan MacMaster introduced everyone to the freshwater stages of a salmon’s life – to Kristian Sator’s six-kilogram fish in sea pens off the Isle of Muck, and everything in between. We aimed to show the chefs every step of what we do, enabling them to explore their salmon farming curiosities for themselves.

At its core, this trip was a learning experience. By walking the chefs through the full journey of Scottish salmon – from egg to plate – they had the chance to have their questions and concerns answered not just by us, but through first-hand observation. Seeing truly is believing, and there is something uniquely powerful about getting boots on the ground – or in our case, wellies on the pen. “The two-day trip made me a staunch supporter of Scottish salmon farming,” our farmers were told.

Armed with a deeper understanding of what modern, responsible salmon farming looks like in the Highlands, the chefs can now better craft their menus, stories and dining experiences around salmon dishes. All seven chefs who attended said the visit exceeded their expectations. Importantly, they shared that the passion and skill of our farmers was the most impressive takeaway: “It was a real pleasure to meet so many people who are clearly passionate and knowledgeable about both their work and the company,” noted chef Mearing.

Touring our Lochailort hatchery, Glenfinnan freshwater site, Isle of Muck seawater site, and the Blar Mhor processing facility in just over 24 hours made for a tight schedule. But with fantastic weather on our side, the Salmon Experience kicked off with a bang. We plan to continue the initiative, bringing more chefs hands-on with their salmon, deepening their understanding of modern aquaculture and showcasing the care we take in raising one of the world’s healthiest, most sustainable proteins.