It's smoking!

London's Hotel Intercontinental has added a Gourmet III smoking oven to its kitchen to upgrade the existing 38 kg capacity model it bought 20 years ago. The new unit, which holds up to 90 kg, is found by executive chef Peter Kromberg to deliver a net saving of about £100 per day compared to the cost of bought-in smoked salmon.

These figures include the purchase of quality fresh salmon, labour costs of about two hours a day, salt and sawdust.

Having a smoker on the premises is also found to provide plenty of daily capacity to smoke bacon, game, cheeses and sausages. "I particularly like the fact that I'm in charge of the quality - not an outside supplier," Kromberg observes. His hand-sliced smoked salmon is using in many recipes as a starter, filling, pizza topping and within the popular Smoked Salmon Quiche with Rocket.

The smoker is from the 38-500 kg capacity range made by Innes Walker Fish Harvester. Units are fitted with heating elements so that, following a cold smoking cycle, they can be used to cook the smoked foods, working in a similar way to a slow-cooking convection oven.

Small smokers operate off a 13 amp plug. All the smokers are designed to cold smoke using hardwood sawdust to produce a black smoulder which continues very evenly and at low temperature. Prices start at £5625 for a 38kg capacity smoker. The 90 kg model at the Inter-Continental has a list price of £12,625.

Supplier: Innes Walker