Foodstore Guidelines

Our Company

• As the foodie’s site of choice, we deliver the ultimate in luxury fine foods, ethically sourced from artisan producers. Wherever possible we source from the UK but will look abroad for certain things that cannot be grown in our country such as olive oil. Our suppliers are all small businesses who care as passionately about sustainability in sourcing and production as we do. These values are important to us as is the outstanding taste and quality of everything we sell.

• Everything in our range is reviewed and vetted by a panel of food experts who ensure the products we sell are of outstanding taste and quality. Our panel have tasted and sipped everything that we sell and we listen to their comments and feedback to make sure we consistently deliver the quality you can expect from Handpicked.

• We are also specialists in exclusive, award-winning smoked Scottish salmon. Established in 1978, MacGilvray’s traditional smokery has been in business for over 30 years and uses updated versions of the original ‘London Smokeholes’. In our small rural smokehouse carefully selected  wild and premium grade Scottish farmed salmon are cured and oak smoked in the time honoured way, using traditional brick-built kilns unlike the mass-produced supermarket product. It's a slow and painstaking process lasting two whole days and nights. But we know from long experience that nothing less allows the sides to fully develop the distinctive taste and characteristic texture for which this world-class delicacy is justly famous. This is real smoked salmon as it ought to taste, a rare commodity these days. For the true connoisseur it has no equal.

• MacGilvray's smoked Scottish salmon is only produced in modest quantities in partnership with the Freedom Food Scheme and is available exclusively by mail order from The Handpicked Foodstore.

FAQ’s 

• How will my perishable goods be sent?
• All smoked salmon and perishable fish, cheese and charcuterie  will be despatched in temperature control polystyrene boxes with an outer presentation sleeve and packed with ice packs and sent on an overnight courier service.  The boxes keep your products safe and are used to send perishable goods to Europe.

• How much salmon do I need per person?

The usual restaurant portion is about 55g (2oz) for a starter and twice as much for a main course (110g or 4oz). However, if you allow your guests to help themselves it would be wise to budget for a little extra - especially when serving MacGilvray's! There is no wastage in our packs of slices or sliced sides but when ordering an unsliced side remember to make a small allowance for the skin.

• How long will it keep in the fridge?

At the time of despatch our smoked salmon has a refrigerated shelf life (at 2-5 degrees C) of three weeks. However, to take account of the time it will spend at ambient temperature with the couriers, the recommended use-by date is two weeks from the date of despatch. Every item is clearly marked on the outside of the box with both the despatch date and the use-by date and detailed storage instructions are enclosed for your guidance.

• Can I freeze it?

Yes, our traditionally cured smoked salmon has a relatively low water content and freezes extremely well for up to 3 months.

What is the Freedom Food scheme?

Our premium grade MacGilvray Scottish salmon comes from producers we have known for many years who are now working in partnership with the Freedom Food Scheme.

The scheme, initiated in 1994 by the RSPCA, a non-profit making charity, works in partnership with farmers to improve the welfare and stocking densities of all livestock, including salmon. The strict welfare standards set ensure that the salmon enjoy a better quality of life. This results in a better end product with no extra cost involved. The distinctive Freedom Food label is your assurance that our salmon has been produced following these welfare standards and will be seen on all our products.

Visit www.freedomfood.co.uk for further information.