Showing the same determination as the salmon they have smoked and cured for over a century, the Forman family have made an indelible mark, not just on London, but on the city’s finest eating establishments. 120 years ago, Russian émigré and entrepreneur Aaron ‘Harry’ Forman saw the potential in curing fresh Scottish Salmon and ever since his company – H Forman & Son – has been synonymous with the king of fish.
The Last Original London Smokehouse
Remaining faithful to principles established in 1905, H Forman & Sons is the last original London smokehouse and continues to be a family concern with fourth generation and Harry’s great grandson Lance Forman now in control. After studying economics at Cambridge University, Lance followed his own path working as an accountant, business consultant and as a political adviser to the then secretary of state and industry Lord Lilley before joining H Forman & Sons.
“I think us Forman’s are like the salmon we’re famous for, we swim away but always come back to the place we were born and I think this is very beneficial” says Lance. For multi-generational family businesses, I would always recommend the next generations getting out and experiencing something different before committing. Otherwise, I think it can turn out badly.”
“I think what the next generation can bring to a business and how they can make a difference is very important, it’s not just what they can get out it. My father had done an incredible job of building up a customer base filled with every top chef and name in London. They all used our salmon, but there was no brand recognition. Instead of chefs and consumers just looking for half a pound of smoked salmon, my objective was to make them search out half a pound of Forman’s smoked salmon. That is what I felt I could bring to the business when I came back and that became my focus.”
Expanding the Portfolio
Fast forward 30 years and Lance has certainly achieved his goals with a powerful brand, recognition and a growing portfolio. In addition to smoked salmon, the Smokehouse now offers a wide range of cured and smoked fish, wild salmon, sablefish (for black cod dishes), shellfish, caviar, tuna and more, which are supplied to a talented array of chefs from the Michelin-starred and sushi arenas.
With an impressive production kitchen run by former Roux chef Lloyd Hardwick, the company has expanded to provide pre-prepared restaurant-quality dishes including fish cakes, lobster thermidor, beef wellington, stuffed quail, cheese souffles, peri peri chicken, mulled pears, chocolate brownies and so much more.
“Like the salmon, you have to keep moving forward, even in the most troubled waters so we have always tried to have one eye on the future. For example, we set up our retail website Forman & Field over 25 years ago at about the same time as Ocado and it pretty much saved the company when the pandemic struck and our foodservice business was hit.”
“While many businesses set up online offerings, we were ahead of the curve and had huge experience in serving and delivering to people at home. You can have the best chefs in the world but home delivered food isn’t just about the quality of food. It’s about the packaging and the logistics. It’s not easy and if you upset a customer the first time, they probably won’t come back. Thankfully when the pandemic hit, we were experienced in this area. Half our annual turnover for Forman & Field usually comes during Xmas week so in the first few weeks of Covid when we were doing 25 times the turnover of the same week of the previous year, we knew how to cope and scale up. Christmas just came early in March. Although the Covid pandemic is a thing of the past,
our online business is now double what it was before.”
Pandemic’s Lasting Effects
Lance explains that the pandemic has had lasting effects on the business and the sector as a whole.
“When it comes to foodservice, we’re just about back to the pre-Covid levels now. As many people moved on, left the industry, changed careers or saw their businesses fold, it wasn’t easy and was almost like starting the business from scratch. With a shortage of skilled chefs, it meant many businesses needed extra support and our production kitchen, where everything is made by hand to order, could pick up the slack.”
“We’re more like an artisan kitchen now but on a bigger scale. As long as you’re profitable and can cover your bills, you don’t really mind what you sell. Our salmon, smoked salmon and fresh salmon still accounts for 60% of what we do but 40% is now other artisan products and ingredients.”
A Cautious Outlook for 2025
On his feelings for 2025, Lance said; “I’m not feeling massively positive for the economy at large. Hospitality is one of the first industries to suffer from inflation and considering the sector is still on its knees following Covid and the energy crisis, it’s going to be a tough year for many businesses.”