The Fortune family started the business back in 1872 and it remains largely unchanged to this day, the distinctive smokey aroma is a familiar greeting as you stroll along the cobbled street.
A tiny smoke house and shop sits amongst the higgledy piggledy cottages of Henrietta Street, in the shadow of Whitby Abbey. A sign in the window tells customers if they are open or whether the day’s supply of smoked kippers has run out and to return tomorrow.
If you don’t already know, a kipper is a smoked Herring. Fortune’s smoke kippers the traditional way, the fish are gutted by hand by Barry and Dereck, William Fortune’s Grandsons, before being hung in the smokehouse to be cured.
We purchased some kippers and headed along to Whitby beach to cook them two ways.
Jugged Kippers
Bring a pan of water to the boil
Remove the head and tail from the kippers using a sharp knife
Place the kippers vertical in the hot water and leave off the heat for around 6 minutes.
Benefits of jugging the kippers are it reduces the smell in your house if you’re cooking at home.
Grilled Kippers
Add a knob of butter and grill for around 5 minutes until the skin is crisp and the fish is hot
You can wrap the kippers in foil if you wish to retain more of the natural oils.
Serve with a chunk of brown bread and real butter. We chose a Botham’s of Whitby stotty.
Mark is wearing the Berties of Bay Whitby Gansey in orange, which is based on the traditional working garments worn by Whitby Fishermen.
Images: Ceri Oakes Photography
