Chalk Stream Foods champions trout

Chalk Stream Foods co-founders Arthur Voelcker and Hugo Hardman have paired up with Hampshire-based farms fed by the waters of the Test and Itchen in a mission to get more chefs using the classic British fish, rainbow trout.

The waters in Itchen Abbas in Hampshire, Broughton in Buckinghamshire and Padworth in Berkshire, which are rated class 1A by the Environment Agency, are a perfect habitat for the trout.

The farms are situated on one of the largest drops in gradient on the river Test at a water speed flow of approximately two tonnes a second of water which means the fish are constantly swimming and as a result very lean. Significantly when the water leaves the farms it is the same class A rated quality and monitored every two weeks.

The fish are harvested to order (while still swimming) and reach an unusual foodservice size of up to 2kg per fish. Voelcker and Hardman made the decision to come away from the small portion sized trout to offer chefs an alternative trout with a favourable ‘bone to flesh ratio'.

"Our motto is water to waiter in 48 hours," said Voelker.

"What we are doing is very unique and we have a very loyal following from some great chefs and restaurants. We supply the Pig, Chewton Glen and Limewood in Hampshire and in London we have customers at Wiltons, Firmdale hotels, The Square and Pied à Terre amongst others," he adds.

The Chalk Stream trout is available in the round (380g-420g), in the round (1.5kg+), gilled & gutted (less than 1kg), grilled & gutted (1.5kg-2kg) and hot and cold smoked packs.

Orders should be placed by midday: Monday for Wednesday, Tuesday for Thursday and Wednesday for Friday.