Craster Kippers – (Probably) The Best Kippers in the World

Northumberland has its fair share of jewels in its crown, but few are more prized than the legendary Craster kippers.

Craster kippers are renowned as being the finest you can get, a reputation built on years of endorsements from our customers as well as the approval of a whole host of accomplished chefs. Our kippers travel the length and breadth of the UK, finding their way into leading supermarkets, homes and commercial kitchens.

Craster has a long history of producing excellent kippers. Stretching back centuries, the art of smoking herring had long been a backbone of the area’s industry, providing jobs for generations of locals and even those from further away. In times gone by, many people travelled to find employment in Craster. Smoking fish was a thriving business and there was plenty of work to be had around the tiny fishing port.

L Robson and Sons: Craster’s best for over a century

Today, the only commercial smokehouses in the village are operated by L Robson and Sons. The family-run business is located in the centre of Craster. Follow the smell of rich oak smoke and you’ll find a well-stocked retail shop supplied by three 100-year-old smokehouses and the production premises next door. 

The world-famous smokehouse is a stone building, filled with wooden beams for hanging fish from. Some of the beams have been used for as long as the smokehouse has operated. The heavy aroma from a hundred years of quality oak smoke hangs heavy in the air and permeates the hanging fish before the smoking fires are even lit.

A method handed down through generations

L Robson and Sons practice long-established methods when it comes to smoking herring, along with salmon and other fish. Nothing is rushed, everything is hand-checked to make sure it’s perfect. The smokery runs five days a week, always the same way and always producing the same, unequalled results. There’s one reason why kippers from L Robson are fabled – the consistent attention to detail that’s been awarded to the process by five generations of the same family.

The art of creating the perfect kipper follows the same path with every new batch of fish. Preparation begins with the selection of the finest North Sea herring. It’s important that only top-quality fish are used to ensure consistent quality. The herring are split, gutted and washed before being soaked in brine. Unlike less-traditional smokeries, no dye is added to the fish. This is sometimes used to deepen the colour of the finished product, it also adds extra weight. Sticking to the traditional process means this has never been an option for Craster kippers!

After their brine bath, the herring are hung in the smokehouse and cured over smouldering oak shavings for between 15 and 18 hours. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, a vent on one side of the smokehouse is opened to keep the oak shavings smouldering and draw the aromatic smoke up through the hanging fish.

If you’re visiting Craster, keep your eyes open for the clouds of white smoke escaping from the smokehouse vents. There isn’t a day on the calendar that the village air doesn’t hold a hint of the rich aroma coming from the ancient smokehouses. Villagers wouldn’t have it any other way – it’s a reminder of the ways of old and an industry that’s been the lifeblood of the area for many generations.

Take up the Craster kipper challenge

The book ‘Waitrose Food Illustrated’, John Brown Contract Publishing 2001, says that comparing an official Craster kipper – one that is produced by L Robson and Sons – with a common processed kipper is like ‘comparing a fillet steak with a cheap burger’ and that ‘on the tongue, the [Craster] kipper is as delicate, as sophisticated, as the finest smoked salmon in the world and costs but a fraction of the price’. 

We have to say that we agree wholeheartedly with this verdict!

If you’re already a kipper aficionado, you’re probably already experienced our kippers. But, if you’ve only previously tried a ‘normal’ processed kipper made in a commercial, non-traditional smokery, we invite you to take up this challenge: Try a Craster kipper and tell us that they’re not the best kippers you’ve ever tasted!

Shop online for smoked fish

One thing we have changed in recent years is the way you can get Craster kippers to your kitchen. If you can travel to the shop, you’ll find an excellent selection of smoked kippers, smoked salmon, kipper fillets, kipper pate, hot smoked salmon, crab, scallops and many complimentary treats from the local area. However, if you’re further away or can’t make the journey, L Robson and Sons now has a busy website and online shop. Kippers delivered fresh to your door, wherever in the UK you live, are now only a few clicks away. Browse our website and shop online here.

We’ve got a lot to tell you about

As you can imagine, a family-run business with a history of producing what’s widely recognised as the finest kippers in the world has a lot to say. In fact, we think it’s time we started sharing some of our stories, along with lots of other interesting information about Craster, the history of kipper production, our favourite recipes and more with our customers. With this in mind, we’ve created a new blog page on our website to share our fishy tales as well as lots of tasty special offers.

Help us to spread the word…

Much as we love the peace and quiet of our Craster home, we love welcoming visitors from all over the world. Help us spread the word and support other local businesses in the area by sharing our posts and links. We’d love it if you would follow us on social media: Find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

And it’s not just about our kippers!

Most visitors to Craster make a point of stopping by to visit the smokehouse. But, Craster has a whole lot more to see and do. We’ll be publishing posts and blogs about the area as well as insider information about the very best places to visit, where to eat and where you’ll find the most impressive walks in Northumberland. 

If you’re a local, we’d love to hear your stories about Craster and our kippers! Please use the comment section at the bottom of the blog post to say hello and add your penny’s worth. If you’re from outside the area, sit back and enjoy the journey of discovery we’ve planned for you over the coming months.