From humble beginnings come great things.”
Many Kiwi memories are built around shared meals, and the adventures involved in finding that meal. Seafood in particular is an iconic part of New Zealand culture and food memories.
A Quick History
Salmon has its own special place in New Zealand’s seafood story. At Ōra King we’re proud of our history in the Marlborough, Nelson and Tasman regions, where salmon farming in New Zealand was pioneered, and where it continues to flourish today.
Our country’s much sought after King salmon species is the legacy of a group of forward thinking settlers in New Zealand, led by Scotsman Lake Ayson (pictured below).
In the early 1900’s, after decades of trial and error, these pioneers secured a batch of fertilised King salmon eggs from a small northern Californian river called the McCloud. The eggs survived the long journey in tall ships and once released, were successfully hatched to become the first generation of our wild salmon still found in South Island rivers today.
Not only was this the beginning of our treasured fly fishing tradition, but these salmon also became the forefathers of our farmed salmon industry. New Zealand’s first commercial salmon farm was established in 1976 in Golden Bay – with the first farm in the Marlborough Sounds being established by the early 1980s – and, nearly forty years later, the “Top of the South” remains the favoured region for producing high quality King salmon.
Our heritage in Marlborough has made us what we are today: a proud custodian and producer of the highest quality salmon for the most discerning chefs in New Zealand, and around the world.
‘Memories Shared’ – A Photo Journal Series
Last October, we set out to communicate that heritage to the world. We gathered 13 beloved Kiwi chefs in our heartland of Marlborough to conduct a photo shoot that would illustrate the story of our salmon’s heritage.
From this we created the ‘Memories Shared’ journal series, which celebrates the early beginnings of our salmon industry in New Zealand – brought to life by some of the great chefs we work with – whilst also sharing the unique food memories that have shaped and inspired these celebrated chefs’ own careers.
Our upbringing and culture directly influence who we become and what we do. The stories and images featured in our ‘Memories Shared’ series celebrate the sharing of old food memories, whilst also celebrating the collaboration between the producer and the chef to create new food memories.
It’s our belief that you should always cook from the heart, respect the ingredients, understand the stories behind those ingredients, and then add your own touch of creativity.
This is our story; from the original pioneering of the salmon industry in New Zealand, to our Ōra King heritage rooted in Marlborough.
Over the coming few months we will continue the series by sharing with you the unique stories and food memories that have shaped our chefs’ own food philosophies.
We hope you enjoy following the ‘Memories Shared’ journal series.
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