Mowi hosts second Salmon Experience tour with Master Chefs of Great Britain

The second Mowi Salmon Experience tour took place in September following the success of our first tour in 2025, this time hosting Master Chefs of Great Britain.

Six skilled chefs from across the UK joined the Mowi Scotland team across its operations, hosted by Dougie Hunter, Technical Director; Herve Migaud, Health, Welfare and Biology Director; and Jayne MacKay, Community Engagement Officer.

Attending chefs included Stephen McLaughlin from Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles, Paul Hart from The Balmoral, Stefano Biondi from Emerald Garden Café, Joe Queen from Archerfield Links, Craig Millar from Craig Millar @ 16 West End and Adam Abbot from Gleneagles.

The Salmon Experience is an important learning experience. By walking 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 Mowi, but through first-hand observation.

The tour started at Mowi’s Inchmore Hatchery, where Dan Phillips, Freshwater Manager, guided the group around our state-of-the-art freshwater recirculating aquaculture facility, before setting sail to Scalpay.

Here, the group toured Mowi’s Scalpay farm, guided by farm manager Ronan Taylor and area manager Sarah Donaldson. Next, the group departed for Isle of Skye Smokehouse to meet owner John Corfield, also a trained chef, for a tasting platter of delicious Mowi salmon.

Following a dinner hosted by Mowi, day two began with a visit to the Mowi Farms Office in Fort William including the Remote Operations Centre (ROC) where the chefs could see how our fish across the west coast are fed and monitored remotely. The visit concluded with a product demo by Jo Nola, Marketing Manager at Mowi Consumer Products UK.

The tour facilitated conversations between the group, with food miles, locally sourced and sustainable ingredients noted as being of great importance, as well as the importance of aquaculture to local communities by providing employment in rural locations.

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.

Commenting on the tour, chef Joe Queen said: “The whole trip to the Salmon Experience was top class, from the moment we arrived at Inchmore Hatchery to be greeted by a bunch of professional people who live and breathe the salmon industry was incredible.

“Salmon is such an iconic Scottish product and now I feel that I know more and can tell my younger generation about the top-quality company that produces high-end quality salmon.”

Chef Craig Millar said: “I arrived with pre-conceived ideas about salmon farming and left with a greater appreciation of the industry and its care for the fish and the environment.”

Mowi’s Jayne MacKay added: “We have made great connections and are incredibly proud of our collaboration with Master Chefs of Great Britain. We were particularly happy to welcome its chairman George McIvor, secretary Serena McIvor and treasurer Ben Bartlett along with the chefs for this Salmon Experience tour.

“The feedback we have received from everyone who attended has been very positive and we look forward to hosting Master Chefs of Great Britain again in the future. Most of all, we look forward to seeing Mowi salmon take pride of place on the menus crafted by the talented chefs who attended.”