Cork smokehouse business closes its doors after almost 50 years

The winding grey smoke that used to be seen in the sky above Ummera Irish Smokehouse, located at Inchy Bridge just outside Timoleague, is no more.

The business - one of Ireland’s longest-running smokehouses - has closed after almost 50 years

“I feel very sad,” admits Anthony Creswell, who joined is dad Keith’s business in 1984, nine years after Ummera was founded.

Others are sad too.

“I have been getting lots of messages from my customers from around the world, with some expressing their sorrow that Ummera Smokehouse was closing and no longer trading,” adds Anthony.

His family left the UK in the early 1960s - “my sister and I were in our late teens”, he says.

Was it a culture shock to come and live in the wilds of West Cork. “We both enjoyed the wilds of West Cork,” says Anthony.

Maybe he enjoyed it too much!

“My dad said to me, if I didn’t get a job soon he would put me in the army within a week!”

That got Anthony moving.

“A friend of my parents’ from Bantry was going to work in the wine business in Dublin,” he says. “He asked me if I’d go to work with him. And I did. We went off on the train to Dublin and I was involved in the wine business in vineyards from Alsace to Australia.

“We called our company Corkscrew Wine Company,” says Anthony. “I remember being in the middle of Australia, at Ayres Rock, and I had no corkscrew to open the bottle of fine wine!”

The beginning

Meanwhile, back at the ranch in West Cork, Anthony’s dad, Keith, a keen fisherman and chicken farmer, started smoking salmon.

“He and his friends were catching lots of salmon on the local rivers, the Argideen, the Bandon, and the Blackwater. The group caught too much salmon to eat,” says Anthony.

“Dad came up with the idea of smoking the salmon. After much trial and error, he perfected methods which remain unchanged to this day.”

Fate was to intervene in Anthony’s wine business, when Finance Minister Charles Haughey doubled the duty on it, putting an end to his enterprise.

“We were literally screwed,” says Anthony, smiling at the pun. But he had an answer to his woes, thanks to his father.

“Soon, I could see a greater potential in smoking salmon than selling wine!

“I joined dad in the food smoking business in 1984. In 1988, Ummera Smoked Products Ltd. was created.”

Smoking food has been in Ireland’s blood for centuries. The heat of smoke on fish and meat helps flavouring, tenderising, and preserving of the food. The natural flavour and texture, blended with careful curing smouldering over oak fires, ensures the enjoyment of the finest smoked fish and poultry.

Anthony says: “In May, 1988, I took over the running of the company from my father, who died in 2000.”

Keith and Anthony were cut from the same cloth, both feisty and determined.

“I kind of missed the arguing and the fighting!” says Anthony.

“When I took over the running of the company from dad, I transferred the smoking to a new custom-built smokehouse in October 2000.

“The smokehouse was 1km upstream of its original location on the river Argideen.”

Continuing with his father's those 

Anthony took his father’s ethos with him.

“Dad always concentrated on producing the best quality products, smoked fish, smoked chicken, smoked duck, smoked beef and bacon, as opposed to quantity,” says Anthony.

“I wanted to continue in his footsteps, with the confidence that the quality of our products was second to none.” He succeeded in his quest to produce only the best.

Indeed, just last week, Anthony was honoured with the Outstanding Contribution to Food Production Award at the prestigious Good Food Ireland Awards 2024 at a high-profile ceremony at The K Club in Co. Kildare. It was the last of many such accolades.

“In 2002, we won the Organic Trust symbol for sourcing, processing and distribution of Certified Organic Smoked Salmon,” he said.

“When we did our research, we became involved in processing of farmed fish. We found this to be a positive move.”

Anthony progressed further.

“In the autumn of 2004, modifications were made to the smokehouse to meet the demanding standards required by the Irish Government and the EU for export of meat and poultry products,” says Anthony.

This was a good thing.

“This enabled Ummera Smoked Chicken and Smoked Dry Cured Bacon to be exported throughout the EU in compliance with EU regulations.”

Anthony was satisfied, and so were his loyal customers. “Satisfied customers spreading the word all over the globe helped the business grow,” says Anthony.

“We built up a long-established record of supplying customers in many countries around the world.”

Ummera was in a good place.

“Our location in West Cork, with the vitality of fine quality food producers, helped us maintain our vibrancy and high level of interest, maintaining quality and continuing developing expertise.”

Hopes someone may take over business 

So why stop now?

“None of our five children scattered around the world were interested in the business,” says Anthony.

The festive season was looming too.

“Christmas is our busiest time, of the year,” says Anthony.

“It is so busy; it is very challenging. Because we have private customers and customers all over the world, the last thing I wanted to do was make a mess of it.

“So I decided to pull the plug. I am hoping somebody good and enthusiastic might take over the business. I’d be open to that.”

What is he open to now he’s retired?

Anthony laughs.

“That’s what worries me. I have no idea!”

He does know that he’ll miss the people he worked with and their customers.

“I loved the involvement with other people,” says Anthony.

He still has a couple of jobs to do.

“There’s a ton of organic sugar and sea salt to get rid of and some rape seed oil. Also, a lot of oak sawdust. After 40 years, there’s a bit of packing to do and a bit of tidying up.”

“We finished up on a Monday,” Anthony says. “Monday was our last day.”

No doubt, being in a most beautiful part of the world, Anthony will enjoy many more happy days.