Mowi partnership delivers free salmon to frontline staff
Mowi Scotland has joined forces with a Skye businessman to provide smoked salmon to NHS staff and care home residents on the island.
In a four-month pilot, John Corfield, founder of the Isle of Skye Smokehouse, is smoking salmon donated by Mowi and delivering it to Broadford and Portree.
The hot smoked salmon is offered every fortnight, free of charge, in a combination of 120g packets to two care homes and sides of salmon to NHS staff.
The pilot has been running for four weeks and feedback so far has been very positive, Mowi reported in its monthly newsletter, The Scoop.
Local community
The scheme was launched after Mowi director of communications Ian Roberts contacted Corfield, a customer, to discuss how the two businesses could work together on a project that would also benefit the local community.
Corfield, who delivers the salmon himself, said the pilot is a great example of how businesses have pulled together to support each other during the pandemic.
‘I am a microbusiness and I rely on tourism and hospitality. Before lockdown, I had invested in being able to offer a tour and tasting at the Smokehouse,’ he said.
‘When lockdown hit, it was obviously an anxious time for me and lots of food and drink producers on Skye.
Extremely proud
‘I am both grateful to Mowi for this project and extremely proud to be involved. This initiative is not only supporting me as a small business when most of my market has disappeared overnight, but it is also providing healthy local food to frontline staff and vulnerable people in Skye during a very worrying time. I’d say that’s a win win.’
The coronavirus crisis has seen more consumers buying local on Skye, said Corfield, who is also involved in the Skye and Lochalsh Food Link van. This had been distributing local produce to hotels, restaurants and cafes around the island, but has started delivering directly to residents.
‘We have more than doubled the number of food and drink producers using the Food Link van and we have established 11 hubs on the island for local people to collect their produce,’ he said. ‘It means we have even been able to supply quality fresh produce to local people who are self-isolating.’
