The chefs have united to form a ‘Salmon Circle’ which provides top chefs in the upscale gastronomy sector with exclusive insights into the world of Label Rouge Scottish salmon. Membership provides unrivalled access to outstanding Scottish salmon for use in their own kitchens, and the opportunity to journey to Scotland’s Highlands and islands to learn more about the provenance of Label Rouge Scottish salmon.
Circle members include Carmelo Greco from his eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant in Frankfurt, Nils Henkel from the Bootshaus restaurant in Papa-Rhein-Hotel in Bingen, Philipp Vogel from Orania Restaurant in Berlin, Nathalie Dienstbach from Les Deux Dienstbach in Hochheim, and Roland Gorgosilich from Hotel Kronenschlösschen in Eltville. All five visited Scotland at the end of November 2023.
"What I particularly appreciate about Label Rouge Scottish Salmon is its broad range of processing possibilities. I can use the product in any course, allowing me a lot of creativity" said Michelin-starred chef Carmelo Greco.
With its firm texture and unmistakeable taste, Label Rouge Scottish salmon has held the French quality seal since 1992 and was the first product outside France and the first fish to achieve this accolade.
"I know of no product whose quality has remained consistently flawless like that of this salmon. As a chef, I can always rely on certain quality standards thanks to the Label Rouge certification, which is very important" said chef and managing director of Oriana Berlin, Philipp Vogel, who has been working with Label Rouge Scottish Salmon since the beginning of his career, including as a chef at Scotland’s prestigious Gleneagles Hotel, and is a big fan.
Alongside their trip they also got the chance to enjoy some of Scotland’s world-class seafood at local restaurants including Oban’s Waterfront Fishouse and EE-USK.
Tavish Scott, chief executive of Salmon Scotland said: "For over 30 years, we have been awarded the Label Rouge brand, which is proof that we sell a premium product of the highest quality. It also recognises the hard work of our producers who are passionate about what they do. Last year, Label Rouge Scottish salmon accounted for twelve percent of our total salmon exports and an even higher share of the market value. Within the next three years, we aim to increase the share of our Label Rouge certified fish to over 15 percent, making them the crown jewels of our export business."
As well as France, Label Rouge Scottish salmon is exported to over 60 countries including Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the USA and Japan.