Smoke screening

Cold smoked meat and fish tend to be associated with our Continental neighbours, but there is a long tradition of smoked foods in the UK - particularly among small producers. Interest in using specialist produce has been growing steadily in the wake of the current food revolution, but industry knowledge of just what is on offer and where to get it can still be patchy.

With this in mind, Chef teamed up with Food From Britain, the government-funded organisation that promotes home-produced speciality foods, to conduct a "Taste & Tell" session to sample a range of smoked meat and fish from within the UK's shores.

The tasting session was hosted by Middle England Fine Foods at the Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire, during its two-day festival of fine food and drink at the end of September.

The Chef panel consisted of four chefs and buyers from within the Middle England region, and in a general discussion prior to tasting, the team agreed that the qualities they would be looking for were: a good depth of balance between "smokiness" and the natural flavour of any meat or fish tasted; an attractive appearance; and a good aroma and texture.