Mapua Smokehouse on fire
When Dennis and Sharon Crawford established Nature Smoke in an old wharf building at Mapua in the mid-1980s, I am sure they had no idea the business would grow into the significant enterprise that is The Smokehouse, or that they would be the beginning of something wonderful at Mapua.
If you remember the original wharf area from the 1980s, you will recall that there were two businesses in the old sheds; a fresh crab business where Jelly Fish is now, and Nature Smoke where The Apple Shed Cafe is now located.
They were the first two retail businesses on the wharf. The rest was apple storage.
Since those early beginnings, I have watched the smoked fish business change hands a couple of times and be rebranded as The Smokehouse, and I have watched each new owner add fresh enthusiasm and ideas to grow the business.
When the current owner, Peter Pattullo, bought the business on April 1, 2014, ‘‘it seemed like a good day to take it over, but as we put a focus on growing the business, expanding the product range and providing a better and more effective working environment for our team, we soon discovered we were under pressure at the original site and, as the Mapua wharf area has grown into a fully-fledged tourist destination, it just got too difficult to operate efficiently, so we decided to relocate the fish smoking facility’’.
The famous Smokehouse fish and chip shop is still an integral part of the business and continues to operate on the wharf.
‘‘Originally, we were smoking fish out the back of the retail shop in an old wharf shed built in about 1940. It wasn’t very efficient, a bit of a rabbit warren, and deliveries came in through the front door,’’ Peter recalls.
‘‘It got increasingly more difficult to run this sort of operation after the recent TDC redevelopment which included pedestrianising the wharf area. Don’t get me wrong, the developments are fantastic, but just not suitable for the nature of our growing business.
‘‘Other things came into the decision to move, too, particularly around hygiene, as it become harder to guarantee for our customers a food safe product in what was essentially an old wharf shed.
‘‘The new premises in Saxton Rd have been designed for us, so we have achieved lots of efficiencies around fresh fish coming in, being smoked, packed and shipped out; no more trying to get a tonne of fish in and out the front door at Mapua while the shop is open.’’
I think the business has done fantastically well to achieve what it has since those early days in Mapua. The smoked fish concept was a perfect fit for the location, and Peter says ‘‘the authentic, genuine smoking on the wharf at Mapua couldn’t have been better’’.
‘‘That’s why we keep the shop there – we need to be associated with the home of the business – but I knew that if we wanted to take this business to the next level, we had to move production.
‘‘I like owning small businesses with a great story and growing them, so when we were looking for something new, The Smokehouse ticked all the boxes.
‘‘The things that really drew me to The Smokehouse were a really strong brand, a great local backstory, potential to add value, and the business was also using a product that New Zealand has a great reputation for: seafood.
‘‘It is a product we can put to the customer cooked and ready to eat, just a naturally smoked, really healthy product that fits with the healthy lifestyle thing.’’
After brining the fish overnight, it is smoked in brick smokers using manuka wood shavings.
‘‘Each smoke is personally crafted by our master smokers,’’ Peter says.
‘‘It’s a unique combination of art and science, and the smoking process uses absolutely no artificial additives. Our commitment to provide safe and wholesome products is absolute.’’
Peter says the growth of the business is the exciting part of the story, and it couldn’t have grown as quickly as it has without the support of lots of people, but particularly the staff.
‘‘Through the whole growth phase and relocating, we have had phenomenal support from staff.
‘‘They are fantastic people who are really dedicated to producing a great product, but they worked in very trying conditions at Mapua.’’
Local retailers have been an important part of the growth story, too.
‘‘We still have a stall at the Nelson Market on Saturdays,’’ Peter says.
‘‘It’s a really important way for us to stay in touch with regulars. They get to engage with us, and we notice locals bringing people from out of town to our stall.
‘‘It seems like locals are proud to have us as part of the Nelson artisan producer story and love the backstory the business has.
‘‘In fact, we recently found the very original smoked seafood recipe. It had been altered slightly over the years, but when we tried the original version we decided we had to revert to it, as it was even better.’’
The new factory isn’t all mechanised and conveyorbelted. The company still employs the same methods it used at Mapua.
‘‘We still use brick kilns, still make pate in small batches,’’ Peter says.
‘‘We are still doing what the business has always done, just in a much nicer and more efficient building.’’
A small business that started with one man’s passion for smoked fish about 30 years ago now has owners who want to guide this local treasure through the next phase of its life.
And with Peter’s passion and dedication, I am sure he is the right person to do it.
‘‘Through the whole growth phase and relocating, we have had phenomenal support from staff.’’ Peter Pattullo
Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017
RRP $21.99
While this certified organic wine oozes classic Marlborough sauvignon blanc characters, it is the medium to full palate weight, minerality and balance that make it stand out from the pack. A delicious wine.