St. James Smokehouse Triumphs at Boston Seafood Show

The winning product is St. James Scotch Reserve Smoked Salmon infused with Hendrick's Scottish Gin & Tonic.

At first, coming up with the idea for what has been judged this year’s best retail product in the 2011 Seafood Excellence Awards was like a "Monty Python" moment, says Brendan James Maher, owner and president of Annan-based St. James Smokehouse.

"It’s whimsical," explains Maher. "When I submitted it, the opening line was, 'Don’t have time for an appetizer and a cocktail? Try St. James Scotch Reserve Smoked Salmon infused with Scottish Gin & Tonic'."

St. James Smokehouse and Dish Hospitality of Mumbai, India, whose Prawn Lollipop was named best in the foodservice category, were the top award winners in the new product competition at the International Boston Seafood Show on Sunday.

Maher says the reason why people like the salmon infused with gin and tonic is simple: because it works.