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.’
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
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.
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!
Thank you very much to the ‘Wandering Scotsman’ writer of the ‘London is cool’ blog and for the following review of our London Cure smoked Scottish salmon, next stop will be ice to eskimos methinks…
“I can’t fault Forman & Field. The product arrived on the day specified, well packaged and in good condition and more importantly the London Cure Smoked Scottish Salmon was full of delicious flavours.”
If that has you inspired then… click here to buy our smoked salmon
Thank you to ‘The Gentle Author’ for this in-depth piece on Forman’s: our history, Olympic relocation saga and our smoked salmon.
Spitalfield’s Life is a fascinating website and well worth spending some time reading if you’re in East London or have even a passing interest in the area. The author promises to post an article on the local area every day with the ambition of reaching 10,000 posts by 2037! Lunch at the restaurant is on us when that ambition is achieved!
http://spitalfieldslife.com/2011/08/04/at-h-forman-son-salmon-smokers/
It’s always particularly satisfying to hear of a new ‘convert’ to our smoked salmon, and it just so happens that ‘The Foodie Gift Hunter’ has come around to our way of thinking.
“It was firm, mildly smokey flavoured and tasted of salmon but not fishy. It was as delicious on its own as it was stirred through a pasta sauce.”
“Forman & Field have never struck me as the cheapest place to hunt for a gift for a food lover, but if everything comes up to this standard then they’re definitely delivering quality for the money. Which makes it a good source for the future to me.”
Read the review in full here – http://thefoodiegifthunter.co.uk/http:/thefoodiegifthunter.co.uk/coming-round-to-the-smoked-salmon-cause
…and if that convinces you, order our London Cure smoked salmon here!
There’s an immaculately photographed set of recipes for our smoked salmon on the brilliant Aesthetics and Gastronomy blog. Click through to the blog and read them in full here.
More delicious smoked salmon recipe action here from Cook Sister! Now we’re torn as to whether to go for Girl Interrupted Eating’s homemade beigels or these smoked salmon and avocado stacks for our Easter brunch. Then again, we might just keep it simple with brown bread, black pepper and lemon.
This is also a great essay on our London Cure production method and what to look for in good smoked salmon.
http://www.cooksister.com/2011/04/smoked-salmon-and-avocado-stacks.html
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