BBC News visited us today to talk about the role food exports can play in boosting the economy. If only London Cure Smoked Salmon could be as well known as Parma Ham or Scotch Whisky… one day!
Great footage of our smokery covering almost the whole process – traditional hand slicing skills, salt and oak smoke.
This just in – from The Daily Mail a couple of days ago actually. A nice piece with Lance Forman about opportunities – or lack of – for small businesses and banging the drum for the legacy.
Small firms urged to grab last £50m of Olympics contracts By HELEN LOVELESS 22nd January 2012
About £50million of contracts for the London Olympics are still up for grabs and small firms are being urged to act quickly.
One that didn't get away: Lance Forman is expanding his fish smoking business on the back of the Olympics
Nearly 70 per cent of suppliers to the Games are small and medium-sized businesses, with more than 250 such firms having been awarded contracts. Two-thirds of those companies are based outside London.
The Olympic Delivery Authority, which is responsible for the infrastructure of the Games, has some 1,500 suppliers, most of which are small businesses.
Chris Daniels, head of London 2012 activation for Lloyds TSB, a ‘tier one’ sponsor of the Games, says that areas where there are still contracts to be won include banner signage, security and hospitality.
He says: ‘There are still many contracts in cottage industries, for example, creative areas such as costumes and flowers.’ Details of available contracts can be viewed on competefor.com, a website set up in association with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Lance Forman runs family business Forman’s Smokehouse in Stratford, east London. The firm, which was set up in 1905, claims to be the oldest producer of smoked salmon in Britain and supplies luxury foods to the House of Lords, the Savoy hotel and department store Fortnum & Mason.
The business was forced to relocate from its original premises on the Stratford site of the Games after London won the bid to host the 2012 Olympics.
However, Lance, 49, has more than made the most of the opportunities offered as a result. Not only are the new premises the nearest building to the Olympic stadium, but Lance has launched three new businesses, including a hospitality venue that will play host to major Olympic-related events including the Olympics after-party.
He has also opened a restaurant by the site and an art gallery which shows the works of local artists. The company employs 85 staff, but Lance expects to take on hundreds more during the Games.
He says: ‘This is a chance for us to boost business, but also to showcase what we do, in particular how good British food can be. What is most important is ensuring that the boost given by the Olympics is sustained after the event is over.’
Steve Wheeler, local business director for small and medium-sized firms at BT, a partner to the Games, says: ‘Businesses need to prepare thoroughly for the Games – leaving it to the last minute will not work.
‘Our research shows that 74 per cent of small firms expect disruption during the Olympics, yet only a quarter are taking steps to address it.’
What do you mean you don’t crack Scotch Eggs?
Oh, alright then but whoever let hardboiled facts get in the way of a good play on words.
We’ll stop now but do please have a read of this review of our Scotch Eggs in The Guardian.
Eggcellent stuff.
If you like the sound of them you can order them here – http://www.formanandfield.com/homemade-scotch-eggs-p-3032.html
We love this website. The wonderful Roy Ackerman visits Restaurants, Hotels, Chefs and Food Producers to interviews, taste and test. The filming is stunning and covers some of the true greats of the food scene – Raymond Blanc, Brian Turner, Theo Randall, Giorgio Locatelli, Mark Hix, Anton Mosimann, Michel Roux, Richard Shepherd, Rick Stein, Catherine Parisot… and many more.
In the latest episode he visits Forman’s to talk to Lance about our smoked salmon and his family company’s history. Our world record smoked salmon slicer Darren demonstrates his skills – yet again, we can’t keep a good man down! – and Forman’s Restaurant Chef Mike Smith demonstrates how to produce his tian of Salmon with Orange, Lemon and Keta.
Visit the site for many more excellent films – http://coolcucumber.tv/index.html
Thank you for all your orders this Christmas. Our next available deliveries are now on the 29th and 30th of December so order now for your New Year feast!
All Christmas orders were dispatched on time with the final parcels leaving us on Thursday 22nd for delivery on Friday 23rd.
Here’s a lovely post from the Eat Hackney following her recent visit to Formans. This is a perfect summary of smoked salmon according to Forman.
Forman’s salmon in celebrity party shock!
Joss Stone caught with cake
Cerys Matthews, smoked salmon blini in hand
Sorry to all of you who would still like to enter our competition to win tickets to the London Handball Cup. We thought that as sponsors of a team GB player we were allowed to offer some tickets to our customers, fans and followers but we have just been informed by the London 2012 Organising Committee that is not the case. Unfortunately we are having to end the competition early so have removed this post.
If we can come up with a similarly fabulous prize in future you will be the first to know. In the meantime we’re very sorry for the disappointment and for not being able to offer you the chance to cheer on the team!
The team at Forman’s has just returned from watching team GB v Angola in their first match of the Handball Tournament. We had no idea what a fast paced and exciting game handball actually is!!
Firstly the Olympic Park is absolutely breath-taking even though it’s still some way off completion, and we had a beautiful, clear, crisp sunny day for our first walk through it.
We’re still not too sure of all the handball rules,but it was a nail biting match with us beating the Angolans 22-20, one of the goals having been scored by our very own Louise Jukes whom Formans has sponsored. I cheered myself hoarse and look forward to team GB’s progress through the competition over the next few days ending with the finals on Sunday 27th November.
The atmosphere was incredible and it really gave me an idea of just how amazing the 2012 Olympic Games are going to be.
If I had any reservations about us hosting the Games and the cost they were all blown away in one thrilling match.
Go team GB!! Woohoo!!
If you’re thinking of buying a Christmas hamper this year then do please have a read of this review of a sample hamper we put together of some of our favourite foods. You can be sure all our hampers are just as good!
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