"Richard Muirhead's tiny smokehouse in the grounds of Brougham Hall is a local treasure. Most of the ingredients come from within Cumbria. The smoked salmon is superb, some of the best I have tasted".
Rose Prince
Food & Drink Daily Telegraph
Great Taste Awards 2003
GOURMET produce made by the Old Smokehouse, near Penrith, won two top awards in the national 'food Oscars'.
The Old Smokehouse, at Brougham Hall, took gold in two categories of the Great Taste Awards, which were judged in London.
The annual awards are regarded as the Oscars of Britain’s fine food industry and prompt fierce competition among hundreds of specialist producers.
The Old Smokehouse triumphed in the smoked poultry category with its Gressingham duck breasts and also came first in the smoked meats with its gluten-free Penrith Pepperpot sausages.
The company’s produce is made by hand using traditional smoking and curing methods and is available at Brougham Hall and at specialist food retailers throughout Britain, including Fortnum and Mason in London.
The awards are run by the Guild of Fine Food Retailers and judged by a panel of food experts and writers.
This year’s gold awards would provide a valuable marketing boost for the Old Smokehouse but the company would not be tempted into instantly speeding up production to meet demand.
“A major ingredient of our success is time. “You cannot short-cut the traditional methods we use without risking a drop in quality and we will not compromise the standard of the finished product.”
But the company would increase its output steadily over the coming months and was anticipating an especially busy period in the run-up to Christmas.
