Stonington Sea Products

Since Colonial days the town of Stonington, a village on the seaward tip of Deer Isle in Downeast Maine, has been known for high quality fish. Cold salt water. A granite coast. Scouring tides. A natural upwelling and influx of crucial nutrients from the Gulf of Maine. These elements provide critical habitat for lobsters, crabs, scallops, and mussels as well as native species of finfish like halibut, mackerel, cod and haddock.

Combine such natural bounty with the energy and skillfulness of coastal families who have earned a livelihood on the ocean for generations, and you begin to understand the primacy of fish in Stonington. Not surprisingly the town's seafood is known nationwide, in Europe, and as far as Asia. Eat a plate of mussels in Chicago, order a lobster at the finest restaurant in Marin County, or talk to a Sushi chef in Tokyo and you shouldn't be surprised to hear Stonington mentioned.

Now, for those who value first-quality seafood, there is another reason to mention the town: Stonington Sea Products. We are a smokehouse, seafood processing facility, and purveyor of fresh fish combining ancient understandings and skills with state-of-the art technology to create a line of extraordinary seafood.

Comparing our results at Stonington Sea Products with those achieved in Scottish smokehouses is no random thing. Before emigrating to Maine, our General Manager, Richard Penfold, spent a career working in the Shetland Islands of Northeast Scotland. In the Shetlands, traditions of old-world fish smoking aren't just a way of business; they are a way of life. A self-described fish man, Penfold brings that passion to Stonington.

These days, more than ever, quality fish are scarce, valuable, fragile, and seasonal. An illusive commodity. In the world of culinary arts, few products are more challenging to work with. Yet when brought to perfection, few products bring deeper satisfaction.

Throughout our plant, fish are treated with respect. In his years of fish processing in the Shetlands, Penfold learned the importance of meticulous fish handling. Everything iced to perfection. Nothing carelessly slung about. Nothing dumped. No bruises on the fish. No fingerprints, even. The fish he buys are the best available in the world. And we treat them as such. When a fish is moved from one place to another it isn't just carried, it's cradled.

When it comes to smoking fish, the handling techniques and technology we employ are equally precise. In this case we do the job with a seafood-smoking kiln imported from Scotland. From several available options Penfold chose a kiln that assures a consistent yet distinctly unhurried result. Time makes all the difference. Time allows for gentle airflow and allows the oil in the fish to rise naturally. It's a light smoke, "French style," that Penfold is after. A mild cure. Color, luster, resilience to a gentle touch, retaining "the good, minerally, earthy tang of fresh salmon" mentioned by David Rosengarten in his report, - these qualities in the final result complete an essential "chain of trust" between fishermen, the crew at Stonington Sea Products, and the world's most discriminating chefs.

Stonington Sea Products
Rt. 15., P.O. Box 100
Stonington, ME 04681

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