It was a very welcome invitation to visit Ritchies of Rothesay, a local smokehouse on the nearby Scottish Isle of Bute. Having attended a home smoking class last year, I was keen to see the professionals at Work. Ritchies have been in business since 1888, after founder Peter Barr started the company to produce what is still a favourite to this day, the traditional West of Scotland fish, kippers. The original oak beamed smoker and the recipes secret ingredients are still in use, and the curers continue to smoke and cure by the same method.
In business since 1888, providing smoked fish to some of the best households in the country
Today, the original smokehouse stands on the very same spot, close to Rothesay Pier where the fishing boats would have landed. The unassuming red brick building gives no secrets from the outside but stepping inside, historical and modern day processing techniques come together and work in harmony, side by side.
Reeking strongly of it’s smoking history, the smell and the blackened beams in the oak beamed smoker are a heady reminder of Scotland’s fish smoking industry. Untouched by modernisation and the industrialisation of today’s food system, the time honoured process is complemented by the recently renovated and state of the art processing plant where today’s smokers, headed up by Alastair McFarlane continue to cure and smoke fish in Ritchie’s unique and special way. Alastair gave nothing away as he told me about Ritchie’s secret recipes with the added ingredients that create amazing taste. In addition to the traditional kippers, Ritchies smoke a selection of the finest Scottish fish including trout, kippered rainbow trout, smoked haddock and roasted smoked salmon.
Although no secrets were being revealed during my visit, some interesting facts were revealed – and having tasted the fish, I can tell you that this is no fishy tale.
The fish are hung on racks to dry before being moved to the ancient smoker Pic Philip Field
Ritchies use wood shavings and finer oak materials from oak whisky barrels to smoke their fish Pic Philip Field
Cured and smoked in Ritchie’s unique and special way Pic Philip Field
Ritchies fish is smoked using a cold smoke and takes on a rich smoky flavour with a beautiful deep colour Pic Philip Field
Having seen the smokehouse and tasted some samples, naturally I cooked up a few dishes with Ritchies smoked fish. Here’s a couple of my favourites.
Kippers make a great fish pate Pic Philip Field
The kipper pate is very easy to make and will make and ideal lunch or starter.
- 1 kipper
- small handful rocket leaves
- 40 g cream cheese
- 1 tsp dried seaweed optional. I used Maraseaweed kombu although dried herbs will also work well.
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice add gradually to taste.
- Soften the kipper by soaking in boiling water for approximately 10 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.
- Remove the head, skin and fillet the herring and add the flesh along with the remaining ingredients to a food processor.
- Process until the pate is smooth and check before adding any further seasoning. The kipper and the seaweed usually add sufficient seasoning.
- Pack into a ramekin and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
- Serve with crusty bread or oatcakes
Smoked haddock pasta
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 4 people | 5 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 15 minutes |
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Smoked haddock works a treat with this creamy pasta dish makes a quick and easy to meal to rustle up if you're short of time. The Ritchie's of Rothesay haddock had a lovely strong deep flavour that added real depth of flavour to the finished dish.
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- 350 g conchiglie pasta
- 2 large smoked haddock fillets
- 350 ml milk
- 200 g cream cheese
- small bunch parsley Reserve a small amount for scattering over the finished dish.
- 2 tbsp chopped chives
- freshly ground black pepper
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet
- Add the milk and the haddock fillets to a large pan, slowly bring to a simmer and cook for approximately 5 minutes. Remove the haddock from the pan and flake into large bite size chunks.
- Reduce the heat, add the cream cheese to the milk and stir to mix well until the sauce thickens. Add the parsley, chives, black pepper and mix well.
- Add the pasta and smoked haddock to the pan and gently mix to ensure the pasta is coated with the sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve.
There’s so many ways to use smoked fish and the full range of Ritchie’s products can be ordered on line. Pic Philip Field
The full range of Ritchie’s products can be ordered from their website or if you’re visiting the Isle of Bute, Ritchie’s shop selling the freshest of smoked fish can be found at 111 Montague Street, Rothesay.
Photographic Images. Thank you to photographer Philip Field for the creative food images used in this post.