Telegraph praises Trossachs char

The article published this week explores the culinary versatility of farmed Arctic Char and, in particular, the fish farmed by Stuart Wilson at Trossachs Country Foods by Loch Lomond.

It says some are calling farmed char the new British salmon and appetites for it are growing.

The article claims it is rare to come across char on a menu, especially since the wild population in certain lakes is now small. But emerging tastes for something new and fears for the future of sea fish have given birth to a new interest in freshwater species.

Char also share the characteristic richness of trout and salmon, though their flesh is also white, sometimes a very pale pink.

Wilson told the newspaper that farming the char came about through research into the species. "Four years ago the zoology department of Glasgow University, led by Professor Colin Adams, began to look into the possibilities of a market for 'niche' freshwater species.

"We found that the char population in each of the 200 Scottish lochs and Cumbrian lakes was slightly different, and we chose the one most suitable for farming," he said

The fish are mainly fed a vegetarian diet, with some fish oil. They are shoaling fish and therefore suited to farming.

"They are not aggressive or territorial, so are ideal for rearing in ponds," Wilson added.