Severn and Wye Smokery River Festival

Severn and Wye Smokery River Festival

‘Fighting the good fish fight and hearing the elvers cry’

Hobbs House was invited recently to Severn and Wye Smokery to celebrate the 1st of many to come River Festivals.

We were blessed by the beating sun, and had our senses filled with cooking demonstrations, a fish I.D parade, filleting, smoking and curing demos. Competitions and prizes, barbecues and burgers to boot.

As well as having fun, we were encouraged to learn more of the plight of the Glass Eel, or elvers as they’re known.

Severn and Wye Smokery are committed members of Sustainable Eel Group, 

‘a Europe wide conservation and science led organisation working with partner bodies and individuals to accelerate the eels’ recovery.’

Severn and Wye have risen to the elvers' cry by setting up The Charity ‘Eels in Schools’ with a vision to “catch, control and preserve” elver stocks.

If you’re interested in learning more, click on the BBC iplayer link for an interview with Richard Cook (founder of Severn and Wye Smokery).

There’s also a great article entitled ‘Mind your elvers: the future of young eels is looking bleak’, written by friend of the elver and journalist Rose Prince.

By @hobbshouseboy 25th July, 2013