Our dear friends of Marrbury,

 

 

And just like that 30 years have passed

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We cannot believe it - 30 years since we sent out our first little batch of Christmas smoked foods from our tiny shed in Blackcraig.  Along with our daughter, we hand-wrote every mail order label for the courier, and fought with a very new, very large computer monitor and dot matrix printer. We clunked a very loud vacuum packer in our hallway. And the "tardis" managed to smoke batches of 26 sides at a time, each one lovingly produced. 

We took orders in person and over the phone. We took orders by snail mail - How many of you remember patiently waiting on the post for your Marrbury newsletter? 

It makes us a little sad thinking back - and yet again, there is a huge happiness in the knowledge that although times move on, we have stayed with the same methods of production for all of these passing years.

We still have the same smoking kiln; sure, we have added another larger one now too, but we never stray from our awesome kilns made here in the UK. Our salt, our ingredients, our timings and methods... thirty years... and so it continues. 

To this day, I (Ruby) can look out my kitchen window and see the smoke from the chimneys rising, and a husband who seems to keep on keeping on, filleting, salting, curing, drying, smoking, carving and packing. Is that not something truly wonderful in this crazy world where there is so much woe... that somehow, here we are, thirty years on keeping Marrbury smoked salmon as much a tradition on Christmas Day, as are the mince pies, the turkey, the gifts under the tree, fairy lights sparkling and the scent of cinnamon and winter spice.

Honestly? Thirty years - isn't this a thing! 

I still remember the day in 1995,  Vincent came home for lunch from his work in the local smokehouse factory, sitting on our countertop, miserable, and cursing "his boss" for trying to change his traditional smoking ethics into money-making, profit-greedy ways - I said to him  "Sod it! Let's do it ourselves!" 

And we did. We started planning and within the year, we had set up shop and headed straight to the top with Chefs such as the late Andrew Fairlie (then at One Devonshire Gardens) and the most amazing Chef Andy Cumming of Rogano. Locally Michelin Chef Tony Pearce came on board alongside Michelin Chefs such as the Braidwoods and so many others to mention.  Our list of clients became a "Who's Who" of the catering world. And ultimately retaining our pride and joy Gleneagles, for over 25 years.

We of course stepped back a little when we sold our retail outlet a few years back, but it is so wonderful to watch our former staff grow into their own careers now, and know that somehow, we played a special little chapter in their lives which we know they will never forget. 

We have been with you through good times and sad times, births and sadly, we remember those passed on.  We have shared those years with you and its just so amazing that you still take us into your home and adorn your Christmas dinner table with that little touch of Marrbury Magic. 

 

Isn't that just something?

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It may sound a cliché, but you know this is not AI writing this - you know this is from our heart.

The love and gratitude we feel for your custom, we hope shows in the food we produce, and the passion we put into our festive mail order delivery.

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As always, we will offer you the best prices for early delivery.

For our earlybird specials, we have maintained prices on many of our foods from 2025, you can browse and shop here. 

We will release dates as we go, but prices do increase, as do all costs, the closer we get to the festive period.

We have a few more wrinkles now - but we are kicking on and send you our humble thanks as always for your support and for your friendship and indeed, your valuable custom

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Stay well - and as always

Lang may yer lum - and oors - reek

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Vincent and Ruby x

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