Blog Forman and Field

We’re pleased to say that all orders due for delivery today were dispatched on time and are with our couriers Parcelforce.

If you are expecting an order from us today and have not received it already it may be that there it has been delayed due to the recent weather conditions. Some parcels were late reaching the national sorting hub and there are some ongoing localised problems following the recent snowfalls.

Please see following an update from Parcelforce:

Service Update Wednesday 23rd December

The very heavy snowfall across much of Scotland overnight has severely impacted our vehicles in and out of Scotland during the night. As a result, we will only be able to undertake minimal deliveries today of parcels collected in Scotland yesterday for delivery across the UK and of parcels due for delivery in Scotland today.

Also, the continuing freezing conditions in many other parts of the UK is still making deliveries and collections very difficult. This is particularly the case in outlying rural areas and many residential areas where the roads remain untreated. There are particular problems in some areas of Kent, areas around Oxford, Reading and Aldershot, the North West around Preston and Carlisle and areas around Welwyn Garden City and Luton to the north of London.

We are obviously working very hard to make as many deliveries as we safely can, but it is expected that there will still be some disruption to deliveries today.

The best way to check the status of your delivery is to track it online and to speak to your local depot if necessary.

You can track your parcel online using the tracking number that you should have received via email from us when it was collected. Click here to track the parcel, enter the number, then select ‘tracking details’. That should show you if it is out for delivery.

If you do not have your tracking number or have any further questions the most direct way of getting information will be direct from your local depot. To find your depot click here and enter your postcode. When you call through you should choose option ’4′ and from either your postcode or tracking number.

Parcelforce will be making every effort to deliver all outstanding parcels later today or tomorrow in time for Christmas. We are also working to do everything possible to keep you informed of delays and to ensure that affected parcels are delivered.

We will update via this blog whenever we have more information and do apologise for the inconveniece caused to affected customers.

Forman & Field

We have now finished taking all orders for Christmas delivery, thank you for all your custom.

We are taking orders for smoked and fresh fish products or foods that we produce in-house between Christmas and New Year. Deliveries will be made on the 30th of December, just give us a call on 0208 5252 352 if you would like to discuss what is available.

You’re still just in time to order from a selection of our favourite foods and hampers that we have kept back for late requests. To see the list of what’s still available click on to our ‘Latest News‘, look up the products you require and then proceed to checkout as usual.

There’s still time for smoked salmon, Alderton ham, Kelly’s Turkeys, Three Bird Roasts, Christmas Essentials Hampers and Forman & Field’s wonderful Christmas puddings to name but a few. Do hurry though, stocks will run out very soon and we’d hate you to miss out!

Click here to see what’s still available!

Our new calendar has just been delivered and we will include one in all our orders while stocks last. Looking forward to the 2010 elections, vote Formans for smoked salmon – “Fish You Can Trust!

Final orders for Christmas 2009 should be placed by 5pm on Saturday the 12th. Our offices will be open 9-5 so please just call us on 0208 5252 352 if you have any questions for us.

After Saturday we’ll do our best to fulfil any late requests but many popular items will be unavailable. Just call our team if you are uncertain.

There were some periods today where our payment system was not working online, the problem has been resolved now so do feel free to place your orders. We’re sorry if you experienced some problems with it this afternoon.

Writing in the Telegraph Weekend magazine last Saturday, Casilda Grigg chose one of our gift packs of London Cure Smoked Scottish Salmon as her choice gift for food lovers.

“Served with scrambled eggs on Christmas morning, this would make a lovely start to the day: a 900g side of hand-sliced “London cure” smoked salmon from an East End firm renowned for the quality of its salmon.”

Click here to read the article in full.

We’ll take orders for smoked salmon at least up to December the 12th but please call with any last minute requests after that date and we’ll almost certainly be able to arrange something for you.

We don’t want you to miss out on our fabulous three bird roasts, Kelly Bronze turkeys or Seldom Seen Farm geese so please do place your order soon if you are planning on a Forman & Field Christmas this year. We are also very close to capacity on our final delivery dates and will start limiting availability at some point this week.

Forman & Field Members will be able to continue ordering for any delivery date up to the last minute but otherwise we will not be able to accept orders from other customers once we reach capacity. If you’d like to join the club to benefit from exclusive delivery slots and free P&P please do call 0208 5252 352 for more details.

The Forman family have been smoking salmon since 1905 so they’ve learnt a thing or two along the way. Stick to Lance Forman’s 10 golden rules and you’ll never be disappointed by smoked salmon again.

1. If you like fish smoky, have a kipper! Salmon should be delicately smoked.

2. Cheap, fatty smoked salmon may need lemon but Forman’s doesn’t – especially not the wild.


3. If you see sugar on the ingredients label it’s a bad sign. It’s only there to cover up too much salt or old fish, don’t buy it.


4. Eat smoked salmon as freshly as possible; it won’t taste as good at the end of the shelf-life.


5. Only Wild Scottish salmon has the great reputation. English is considered inferior and Irish is no longer available. Wild Norwegian and Baltic is good, Wild Alaskan salmon is a totally different breed.


6. Organic salmon is not wild and no more natural than regular farmed, so should not be more expensive. Don’t be fooled.


7. Try ordering and carving smoked salmon yourself – it will taste even better.


8. Gravadlax is not and should not be smoked.


9. Don’t buy salmon whose packs state it is “matured” – fish does not mature, it goes off!

10. The key to smoked salmon and any fish is the freshness. Forman’s smoked salmon is carved for you the day before you receive it.

If you have any suggestions of your own or questions that you’d like Lance to answer on smoked salmon please do leave a comment below.

Forman & Field Chef Lloyd spent a day in our kitchens making puddings with Chloe Scott of the Metro newspaper a couple of weeks ago. She wanted to see how we translate home baking to a larger scale and how you make a proper Christmas pudding without cutting corners. The short answer is ‘just as you would at home’ – by hand and with a whole lot of stiring!

Forman & Field Christmas Puddings

If you didn’t get a copy you can read the whole article here: Christmas Puddings Article Metro 17th December 2009

Since they’re made by hand and need time to rest we only make a limited quantity each year: once they’re gone, they’re gone! Do place your order early, perhaps take the chance to test run one or two other Christmas specialities at the same time.

You can see our selection of Puds here: Order Christmas Puddings

We’re pretty new at this blogging stuff. In fact we’re not quite sure that this really is a blog but it seems as good a way as any of keeping you up to date with our news. Someone who’s rather more au fait with the mysterious world of food blogging is Ms Marmite. More importantly, by all accounts she lays on a mean spread and we were delighted to read her praise for our salmon in one of her recent posts!

“I got the salmon from Forman & Field who smoked it on Thursday in their London smokery. Right that does it, I’m never buying cheap smoked salmon again. The difference in texture, taste, colour compared with the cheap stuff is astounding.”

Read the full story here: http://marmitelover.blogspot.com/2009/09/two-nights-on-trot.html

Thank you Ms Marmite!