Industry showcase: all seafood products entered for the awards competition will be displayed during the three-day event in the Seafood Excellence Global stand 8-4430 in Hall 8.

Scottish salmon products in Brussels award finals

Two Scottish salmon products have been named among the 39 finalists in the Seafood Excellence Global awards competition.

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The Scottish Salmon Company (SSC) and salmon smokers John Ross Jr are in contention for a grand prize at the Seafood Expo Global in Brussels next month.

Two grand prizes will be awarded for the Best Retail Product and the Best Hotel/Restaurant/Catering (HORECA) Product. Five special awards will be presented for innovation, convenience, health and nutrition, retail packaging and seafood product line.

SSC is in the frame for its most recent product, Tartan Salmon Label Rouge Royal Mile Cut, hand sliced from the heart of the fillet.

John Ross Jr's Original Rum Cured Smoked Salmon, produced for the last royal wedding. Click on image to enlarge.

Rum-cured smoked salmon

Aberdeen-based John Ross Jr is being recognised for its Original Rum Cured Smoked Salmon. The product, which made its first appearance since the 19th century at the Coronation Festival,a 60th anniversary of The Queen’s coronation staged in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in July 2013, has since been refined to provide a more rounded sweetness and an extra succulent texture, according to the company. 

It is produced only for special occasions, most recently the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle when it was sold in a special royal wedding celebration pack.

Scotland and US-based salmon smoker St James Smokehouse also has a product, Saint Pure Salmon, in the final, produced at its smokehouse in Miami.

Annan and Miami salmon smoker's Saint Pure Salmon is among the products in the final. Click on image to enlarge.

Fruity notes

Saint Pure Salmon, made using Chilean salmon, won the Best New Retail Product award at Seafood Expo North America in Boston last month.

It is hand-cured using only salt and light brown sugar and contains a smoke profile of light fruity notes crafted by smoking with locally-sourced Florida orange and grapefruit wood.

“We are the brother in Miami of the company in Scotland, but we wanted to have our own identity, so for this product we use ASC-certified Chilean salmon,” said Brendan Maher, co-owner of St James Smokehouse and chief executive of the US operation, during the Boston event.

Ten of the 39 finalists in Brussels are from France, five from Belgium, four from Finland and four from Malaysia.