Traditional craftsmanship makes the high-quality salmon tasty and long-lasting.
Smoking salmon — a flavourful tale With years of experience of working out at sea, Petter Aune came back to Norway with a dream of providing customers with tasty, high-quality Norwegian salmon products. Ten years after buying a facility in Møre og Romsdal, Drågen Smokehouse is a well-oiled family business selling traditionally smoked salmon and trout to visitors from all over the world. By Julie Linden | Photos: Drågen Smokehouse
A young man of 18, Petter Aune left his family to work as a fisherman in Alaska. Only three years later, he had climbed the ladder and become the fleet’s youngest factory manager. Since then, Petter has been working in some of the world’s most famous – and remote – corners, including the United States, Russia and Antarctica. With the experience gained, he saw room for improvement in the production lines of mass producers in the fishing industry.
Letting things take their time
“I didn’t like the fact that products described as high-quality smoked salmon were often the exact opposite of decent 24 | Issue 129 | October 2019
quality. Most of these products are mass fabricated, machine smoked and come straight off steel shelves. Some are made in a hurry, without respecting the time it takes to give the fish the right taste and texture,” he says, emphasising his love for genuine craftsmanship and the art of letting things take their time. “We take pride in our craftsmanship and use only local, pure and natural ingredients. Our reward is superior quality.” Situated less than 30 minutes from the famous Atlanterhavsveien – the curved, scenic Atlantic Road in the northwest archipelago – Drågen Smokehouse is listed
as a must-visit location in travel guides such as Lonely Planet and is well known among food writers and foodie tourists. Here, you can combine the beauty of the Norwegian west coast, with all the fjords and mountains, with top-level cuisine. And why not fit in some snack shopping while you’re at it? For those unable to visit the smokehouse, the business sells its products in over 80 Norwegian shops and restaurants – including Salmon House in
Drågen’s salmon is always fresh rom the North Sea, processed by hand and without additives.