(cont)

father and the existing manager of a previous smoke house on the premises, took over the business in 1961 before his sons began running the company in 1989.

There’s a large filleting room where boxes and boxes of fresh fish are brought in from the docks each morning with a filleting room and brineing area, and smoke room with racks for storing the fish before they’re placed in the houses. Shortly before 4pm each afternoon, the six huge smokehouses, topped with cowl-capped chimneys, are lit, fuelled by several tonnes of sawdust from Swedish forests and imported via Immingham by a Bawtree based company. Fillets are hung in the smokehouse and are removed from 8am-2pm the following day.

This lengthy smoking makes for a more flavoursome product, but the process itself is drier, and doesn’t involve heating the product, instead using an ambient smoke process that last four times longer than drying kiln-based methods and results in a more infused fish with a more intense flavour.

“The product we create has a great texture”. Says Richard. “It’s tender, tastes great and has a rich flavour, it’s a product of pure protein with no water taken out or pumped in, and it’s still delivered to customers within a very short period of time.”

The company’s expertise is impressive, but by no means as impressive as its list of customers; the company supplies Rick Stein’s Padstow-based restaurant, Harrods, the Dorchester and Savoy via wholesalers and a little closer to home, Branston Hall Hotel and Lincoln’s Old Bakery Restaurant. Working with Smith’s smokery of Friskney, which specialises in producing smoked eel, Alfred Enderby’s products are also available via farm shops and farmers’ markets.

“Grimsby may not have a fish dock lined with pontoons and trawlers these days,” says Richard, “But it has retained its skills in processing thanks to the expertise of the people who work on the dock. It’s still an amazing place producing great products. We really are the fish-producing capital of the UK, and I don’t think we’ll ever lose that reputation.”

Alfred Enderby’s smoked haddock and dry cured salmon can be found at farmers’ markets and farm shops across the county. For more information call 01472 342984.