A Cork fish producer, who uses traditional methods to smoke his salmon and sells his products in the English Market in the heart of the city as well as internationally, has become the first Irish recipient of one of Europe's most prestigious culinary prizes.
Frank Hederman of Belvelly Smoke House near Cobh has become the first Irish person to win the Walter Scheel Medal, named in memory of the former president of the Federal Republic of Germany with the aim of promoting cuisines, regional food specialities and gastronomic traditions.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney congratulated Mr Hederman on becoming the first Irish person to receive the award which, he said, would enhance Ireland's reputation as a producer of quality food.
“This is a huge honour for Frank and indeed for the Irish food industry as this award recognises outstanding contributions to European culinary culture. It is a double celebration as Belvelly Smoke House is celebrating 40 years in business this year,” said Mr Coveney.
“Frank is a true ambassador nationally and internationally for Ireland’s food culture and his products are world renowned. This award shows that Frank and his wife, Caroline, and the team at Belvelly Smoke House are considered to be the best in their field on the world stage.”
Mr Hederman said that he was delighted to be recognised with the award which has previously been awarded to such well known and celebrated figures in the European food sector as Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger of Taittinger Champagne and Spanish chef, Ferran Adrià of El Bulli.
Mr Hederman, who runs the business with his wife, Caroline, explained that growing up near Cobh, he was inspired by the bustling activity of fishermen and the local boats landing with salmon catches and he began smoking salmon in a cupboard-like room some 40 years ago.
“This award is recognition from a prestigious European organisation for the authenticity and singular quality of the food we make, the skill and hard work that goes into it, and the perseverance that’s required to keep a food business like ours going.
“It’s an opportunity to pause and take stock of all the people along the way who have worked with us, supported us and believed in us, and to thank them sincerely,” he said. And he recalled how various family members have all helped out in the business over the years.
Commitment to quality
The Walter Scheel Medal celebrates recipients as a valuable and integral part of Europe’s rich cultural heritage and it promotes unique culinary traditions in order to preserve them. It also rewards a commitment to quality by producers considered to be the best in their field.
The judges praised Mr Hederman’s traditional smoking methods, as well as his “four-decade dedication to producing the finest possible quality smoked salmon”, stating that Mr Hederman “redefined one of the most iconic products of Ireland’s culinary heritage”.
Mr Hederman said that the company employs eight people, a number that doubles during the busy Christmas period. Products from Belvelly Smoke House have appeared on menus such as those of top chef Rick Stein and on the counters of food halls such as Fortnum & Mason for decades.
Mr Hederman explained that as well as smoked salmon, Belvelly Smoke House also produces smoked mackerel, eel, haddock, mussels, butter, spices, nuts and a wide range of handmade pates, fishcakes and Hederman at Home dishes which are produced in the Smoke House kitchen.
These products are available locally in their English Market shop, which was visited by the Walter Scheel Medal judges and at farmers' markets while their salmon products are available to buy online for delivery to north America, mainland Europe and Ireland, he added.
