Salar the century

The Salar Smokehouse, which is located in Lochcarnan, closed in April but Iain MacRury, former Production Manager at the smokehouse and local resident, has bought the business from Loch Duart. Smoking will resume within the next week or two and the new company will revive the Salar brand.

“Salar will be open for business shortly. We plan to foster local trade and home delivery customers.  Local sales have traditionally been very strong and there are home delivery customers ready to order – this will allow us to build on a solid base for the future,” said Iain MacRury. “I would like to thank Loch Duart for two things, firstly, helping me bring this deal to completion and secondly, for turning away other offers, enabling this iconic business to be retained locally within the community.”

The main product from the Salar Smokehouse will be the famous Flaky Salmon – which is hot smoked in a unique kiln using a closely guarded recipe. The Salar smokehouse will employ 6 staff and continue to work on the quay side at Lochcarnan, South Uist.

Loch Duart’s MD, Alban Denton, added: “As local salmon farmers and former owners of the smokehouse, we had invested a great deal of effort into keeping this business operating within the South Uist community. Loch Duart is still strongly committed to business within the Hebrides and continues to employ 22 full time members of staff in its fish farming operations on North and South Uist. We’re delighted to sell the smokehouse to a buyer in South Uist as we had feared that other potential buyers might have taken the brand and process to the mainland”.