The World of Wild Salmon - 2.5 day course
Time: Day 1 and Day 2 - 9.30 am to 8 pm | Day 3 - 10 am to 12 pm
This full-day interactive two-and-a-half-day smoking course is all about learning the fundamentals of preparing, curing, and smoking Wild Atlantic Salmon with Sally Barnes. This hands-on masterclass will focus on cold smoking, where participants get to fillet, cure, and smoke their own wild salmon. Participants will also learn about foraging and how to prepare wild foods.
It is suitable for home cooks as well as chefs who want to learn more about smoking. Participants will learn the principles of smoking and curing other products like meat, poultry, cheeses, and vegetables.
Questions throughout the day are encouraged. Note-taking is advisable.
We recommend that you stay in a local bed and breakfast or hotel. Please check out our recommendations here >
“This was one of our favorite experiences during our Ireland trip! Sally is incredibly passionate about her craft. It was lovely having conversation with her as she is such a knowledgeable source of information - we learned so much. If you find yourself in the area looking for something to do, pick this - you will enjoy every moment of it!” Sheridan
What to expect
Welcome coffee/tea/well water on arrival
A talk about Woodcock Smokery and Ireland’s vibrant culinary heritage
Learn the Basic Hygiene principles of safe food production
Discussion of choosing raw materials - wild fish, salt and wood
Hands-on filleting, curing, cold smoking Wild Atlantic Salmon
Tastings of Sally Barnes smoked products such as cold smoked haddock, hot and cold smoked Albacore tuna
Day 1 casual sharing lunch of smoked fish, salads, West Cork cheeses, bread, pickles and more
Day 2 picnic lunch at Coomhola Valley
Day 1 supper in the Keep with our foraged treasure
Day 2 supper in the Keep learning how to make one of Sally’s famous recipes
Well water, homemade cordials and some local alcoholic drinks
You will get to bring home your two sides of cold-smoked Wild Atlantic Salmon
Other smoked fish products and local fare are available to purchase directly after the course
Full description of course schedule below
DAY ONE
9:30 am
You will be welcomed into the famous Smokery of Sally Ferns Barnes for coffee and tea. Then, you will be introduced to Woodcock Smokery and the Sally Barnes Method, including a description of the traditional techniques of hot and cold smoking wild fish developed over 44 years.
Please note that the course starts at 10 am SHARP, as time and weather play a part in the smoking process.
10 am
You will enter the workshop, change into work clothes and learn the Basic Hygiene principles of safe food production.
10:30 am
Meet the fish. Your first lesson will be about the Wild Atlantic Salmon. Here, you will handle and learn about the physiology, provenance, mythological life cycle, cultural heritage and morphology of this legendary wild animal.
11 am
Your second lesson will take you thoroughly through the filleting process of your own Wild Atlantic Salmon, caught by the few remaining legitimate, traditional draft-net fishermen of the River Blackwater in Youghal. This will include knife skills and filleting, as well as learning how to extract the Salmon roe for the production of Bottarga.
12 pm
Your third lesson will be on the art of salting. You will learn about the different techniques, elimination of free water, timings and weight ratios, cause and effect, and direct application of salt to your fillets of wild salmon.
You will dry salt your fillets of wild salmon. These will remain under salt for up to 6 hours.
1 pm
Lunchtime. A long table lunch featuring some of Sally Barnes’ hot and cold-smoked products, local artisan cheeses, salads, pickles, chutneys and bread.
Weather permitting, we might stroll to the neighbouring Ringfort to soak in the West Cork fresh air.
2 pm
It's time to go foraging. A short carpool journey, we will spend the afternoon foraging the local coast/woodlands as your fourth lesson.
Weather/seasonality depending, you will be shown how to identify and harvest sustainably wild foods like Sea Beet, Sea Kale, Sea Radish, Pennywort, Herb Robert, Scurvygrass, Brown Shrimp, Mussels, Common Prawn, Periwinkles, Shore Crabs, Brown Crabs, Gutweed, Sugar Kelp, Chanterelles and Amethyst Deceivers. We will hop between secret locations, ensuring we leave enough wild food for the next person to forage.
You may or may not be blindfolded between locations!
4 pm
Back to the workshop.
4.30 pm
When they have had sufficient time, you will remove your salt-cured salmon fillets from the saltbox, rinse them and remove any remaining blood by gentle manipulation. Then, you will load the kiln with your fish and ignite the hardwood in Sally’s drawers. These will slowly cold-smoke overnight.
Your fifth lesson will be on the science of wood-smoke, looking at the variety of hardwoods suitable for smoking and their effects on flavour and preservation. The kiln drawers will be packed in preparation for firing and overnight smoking. You will learn about the variables of any given day, like humidity, temperature, and weather, how these affect the fish during the smoke cure, and how to control them for optimal results.
5 pm
Time to think about supper. Your sixth lesson will teach you how to prepare and cook your foraged finds and enjoy some authentic and original recipes from coastal living in West Cork while sharing some personal reminiscences and anecdotes of life as an artisan smoker and fisherman’s wife.
6 pm
Supper at the long table where we will enjoy dishes made with the foraged wild ingredients with some salads, cheeses, pickles and fresh fruit. Alcoholic drinks will be served.
8 pm
Return to BnB / Hotel for some RnR. We will recommend some pubs for a drink and a chat with the locals.
DAY TWO
9.30 am
Arrive at the Keep. Prior to embarking on a journey away from the smokery, you will be briefed on the precarious nature of working with wild creatures over coffee/tea.
10 am
In your seventh lesson, you will remove the fillets from the kiln and begin the essential process of trimming the skin and removing the pin bones to distinguish your truly world-class side of wild salmon. We are ready for the next and final phase of the curing process, where the fillets are returned to the kiln and smoked for the rest of the day, depending on the variables discussed on day one.
11 am
We will venture off for the day to learn more about these precious fish from an expert, Mark Boyden, educator, orchestrator of streamscapes.ie - an Aquatic & Biodiversity Community Engagement Project that was conceived to assist with wider efforts to conserve our waters and our wilds.
On the way, we will drop off in Bantry and pick up our picnic for lunch.
12.30 pm
We will join Mark to visit a dedicated education centre located in the beautiful Coomhola Valley, where Mark has ranched wild salmon smolts for several years. You will be introduced to the Water Cycle, the wonders of the local natural world, and how your informed and active participation in environmental stewardship can improve the quality of life now and for those who will follow.
Around 1 pm we will have a picnic lunch of local fare at Coomhola Valley.
After lunch, we travel to Glengarrif, where you can swim in a salmon river and observe the salmon in their element. Time to take in the wild beauty of the surrounding nature reserve.
Bring your swimwear. Towels will be provided.
4.30 pm
It's time to head back to the Smokery.
5.30 pm
The first thing we do is check the salmon in the kiln. By this time, it should be fully cured.
6 pm
Time to think about supper, where Sally will teach you how to prepare her famous smoked haddock chowder, Cullen Skink.
7 pm
Supper time at the long table, during which we will talk about the day's activity with some local alcoholic drinks / homemade cordials.
8 pm
Return to BnB / Hotel for some RnR. We will recommend some local pubs for a drink and a chat with the locals.
DAY THREE
10 am
Arrive at the Keep. Prior to embarking on a journey away from the smokery, we will have our debrief over coffee/tea on what you have learned over the last two days.
Now is the time to ask those final questions.
11 am
Your final session will be to open the kilns after they have been smoking away overnight. You will see what methods are used to examine a fully finished product.
Now, we will vacuum-pack your beautiful wild salmon sides to take home.
12 pm
Handkerchiefs at the ready as you say farewell to Sally and the smokery with your precious wild salmon.
Time to embark on another fantastic adventure, somewhere amongst the hills of West Cork.
Time: Day 1 and Day 2 - 9.30 am to 8 pm | Day 3 - 10 am to 12 pm
This full-day interactive two-and-a-half-day smoking course is all about learning the fundamentals of preparing, curing, and smoking Wild Atlantic Salmon with Sally Barnes. This hands-on masterclass will focus on cold smoking, where participants get to fillet, cure, and smoke their own wild salmon. Participants will also learn about foraging and how to prepare wild foods.
It is suitable for home cooks as well as chefs who want to learn more about smoking. Participants will learn the principles of smoking and curing other products like meat, poultry, cheeses, and vegetables.
Questions throughout the day are encouraged. Note-taking is advisable.
We recommend that you stay in a local bed and breakfast or hotel. Please check out our recommendations here >
“This was one of our favorite experiences during our Ireland trip! Sally is incredibly passionate about her craft. It was lovely having conversation with her as she is such a knowledgeable source of information - we learned so much. If you find yourself in the area looking for something to do, pick this - you will enjoy every moment of it!” Sheridan
What to expect
Welcome coffee/tea/well water on arrival
A talk about Woodcock Smokery and Ireland’s vibrant culinary heritage
Learn the Basic Hygiene principles of safe food production
Discussion of choosing raw materials - wild fish, salt and wood
Hands-on filleting, curing, cold smoking Wild Atlantic Salmon
Tastings of Sally Barnes smoked products such as cold smoked haddock, hot and cold smoked Albacore tuna
Day 1 casual sharing lunch of smoked fish, salads, West Cork cheeses, bread, pickles and more
Day 2 picnic lunch at Coomhola Valley
Day 1 supper in the Keep with our foraged treasure
Day 2 supper in the Keep learning how to make one of Sally’s famous recipes
Well water, homemade cordials and some local alcoholic drinks
You will get to bring home your two sides of cold-smoked Wild Atlantic Salmon
Other smoked fish products and local fare are available to purchase directly after the course
Full description of course schedule below
DAY ONE
9:30 am
You will be welcomed into the famous Smokery of Sally Ferns Barnes for coffee and tea. Then, you will be introduced to Woodcock Smokery and the Sally Barnes Method, including a description of the traditional techniques of hot and cold smoking wild fish developed over 44 years.
Please note that the course starts at 10 am SHARP, as time and weather play a part in the smoking process.
10 am
You will enter the workshop, change into work clothes and learn the Basic Hygiene principles of safe food production.
10:30 am
Meet the fish. Your first lesson will be about the Wild Atlantic Salmon. Here, you will handle and learn about the physiology, provenance, mythological life cycle, cultural heritage and morphology of this legendary wild animal.
11 am
Your second lesson will take you thoroughly through the filleting process of your own Wild Atlantic Salmon, caught by the few remaining legitimate, traditional draft-net fishermen of the River Blackwater in Youghal. This will include knife skills and filleting, as well as learning how to extract the Salmon roe for the production of Bottarga.
12 pm
Your third lesson will be on the art of salting. You will learn about the different techniques, elimination of free water, timings and weight ratios, cause and effect, and direct application of salt to your fillets of wild salmon.
You will dry salt your fillets of wild salmon. These will remain under salt for up to 6 hours.
1 pm
Lunchtime. A long table lunch featuring some of Sally Barnes’ hot and cold-smoked products, local artisan cheeses, salads, pickles, chutneys and bread.
Weather permitting, we might stroll to the neighbouring Ringfort to soak in the West Cork fresh air.
2 pm
It's time to go foraging. A short carpool journey, we will spend the afternoon foraging the local coast/woodlands as your fourth lesson.
Weather/seasonality depending, you will be shown how to identify and harvest sustainably wild foods like Sea Beet, Sea Kale, Sea Radish, Pennywort, Herb Robert, Scurvygrass, Brown Shrimp, Mussels, Common Prawn, Periwinkles, Shore Crabs, Brown Crabs, Gutweed, Sugar Kelp, Chanterelles and Amethyst Deceivers. We will hop between secret locations, ensuring we leave enough wild food for the next person to forage.
You may or may not be blindfolded between locations!
4 pm
Back to the workshop.
4.30 pm
When they have had sufficient time, you will remove your salt-cured salmon fillets from the saltbox, rinse them and remove any remaining blood by gentle manipulation. Then, you will load the kiln with your fish and ignite the hardwood in Sally’s drawers. These will slowly cold-smoke overnight.
Your fifth lesson will be on the science of wood-smoke, looking at the variety of hardwoods suitable for smoking and their effects on flavour and preservation. The kiln drawers will be packed in preparation for firing and overnight smoking. You will learn about the variables of any given day, like humidity, temperature, and weather, how these affect the fish during the smoke cure, and how to control them for optimal results.
5 pm
Time to think about supper. Your sixth lesson will teach you how to prepare and cook your foraged finds and enjoy some authentic and original recipes from coastal living in West Cork while sharing some personal reminiscences and anecdotes of life as an artisan smoker and fisherman’s wife.
6 pm
Supper at the long table where we will enjoy dishes made with the foraged wild ingredients with some salads, cheeses, pickles and fresh fruit. Alcoholic drinks will be served.
8 pm
Return to BnB / Hotel for some RnR. We will recommend some pubs for a drink and a chat with the locals.
DAY TWO
9.30 am
Arrive at the Keep. Prior to embarking on a journey away from the smokery, you will be briefed on the precarious nature of working with wild creatures over coffee/tea.
10 am
In your seventh lesson, you will remove the fillets from the kiln and begin the essential process of trimming the skin and removing the pin bones to distinguish your truly world-class side of wild salmon. We are ready for the next and final phase of the curing process, where the fillets are returned to the kiln and smoked for the rest of the day, depending on the variables discussed on day one.
11 am
We will venture off for the day to learn more about these precious fish from an expert, Mark Boyden, educator, orchestrator of streamscapes.ie - an Aquatic & Biodiversity Community Engagement Project that was conceived to assist with wider efforts to conserve our waters and our wilds.
On the way, we will drop off in Bantry and pick up our picnic for lunch.
12.30 pm
We will join Mark to visit a dedicated education centre located in the beautiful Coomhola Valley, where Mark has ranched wild salmon smolts for several years. You will be introduced to the Water Cycle, the wonders of the local natural world, and how your informed and active participation in environmental stewardship can improve the quality of life now and for those who will follow.
Around 1 pm we will have a picnic lunch of local fare at Coomhola Valley.
After lunch, we travel to Glengarrif, where you can swim in a salmon river and observe the salmon in their element. Time to take in the wild beauty of the surrounding nature reserve.
Bring your swimwear. Towels will be provided.
4.30 pm
It's time to head back to the Smokery.
5.30 pm
The first thing we do is check the salmon in the kiln. By this time, it should be fully cured.
6 pm
Time to think about supper, where Sally will teach you how to prepare her famous smoked haddock chowder, Cullen Skink.
7 pm
Supper time at the long table, during which we will talk about the day's activity with some local alcoholic drinks / homemade cordials.
8 pm
Return to BnB / Hotel for some RnR. We will recommend some local pubs for a drink and a chat with the locals.
DAY THREE
10 am
Arrive at the Keep. Prior to embarking on a journey away from the smokery, we will have our debrief over coffee/tea on what you have learned over the last two days.
Now is the time to ask those final questions.
11 am
Your final session will be to open the kilns after they have been smoking away overnight. You will see what methods are used to examine a fully finished product.
Now, we will vacuum-pack your beautiful wild salmon sides to take home.
12 pm
Handkerchiefs at the ready as you say farewell to Sally and the smokery with your precious wild salmon.
Time to embark on another fantastic adventure, somewhere amongst the hills of West Cork.
Time: Day 1 and Day 2 - 9.30 am to 8 pm | Day 3 - 10 am to 12 pm
This full-day interactive two-and-a-half-day smoking course is all about learning the fundamentals of preparing, curing, and smoking Wild Atlantic Salmon with Sally Barnes. This hands-on masterclass will focus on cold smoking, where participants get to fillet, cure, and smoke their own wild salmon. Participants will also learn about foraging and how to prepare wild foods.
It is suitable for home cooks as well as chefs who want to learn more about smoking. Participants will learn the principles of smoking and curing other products like meat, poultry, cheeses, and vegetables.
Questions throughout the day are encouraged. Note-taking is advisable.
We recommend that you stay in a local bed and breakfast or hotel. Please check out our recommendations here >
“This was one of our favorite experiences during our Ireland trip! Sally is incredibly passionate about her craft. It was lovely having conversation with her as she is such a knowledgeable source of information - we learned so much. If you find yourself in the area looking for something to do, pick this - you will enjoy every moment of it!” Sheridan
What to expect
Welcome coffee/tea/well water on arrival
A talk about Woodcock Smokery and Ireland’s vibrant culinary heritage
Learn the Basic Hygiene principles of safe food production
Discussion of choosing raw materials - wild fish, salt and wood
Hands-on filleting, curing, cold smoking Wild Atlantic Salmon
Tastings of Sally Barnes smoked products such as cold smoked haddock, hot and cold smoked Albacore tuna
Day 1 casual sharing lunch of smoked fish, salads, West Cork cheeses, bread, pickles and more
Day 2 picnic lunch at Coomhola Valley
Day 1 supper in the Keep with our foraged treasure
Day 2 supper in the Keep learning how to make one of Sally’s famous recipes
Well water, homemade cordials and some local alcoholic drinks
You will get to bring home your two sides of cold-smoked Wild Atlantic Salmon
Other smoked fish products and local fare are available to purchase directly after the course
Full description of course schedule below
DAY ONE
9:30 am
You will be welcomed into the famous Smokery of Sally Ferns Barnes for coffee and tea. Then, you will be introduced to Woodcock Smokery and the Sally Barnes Method, including a description of the traditional techniques of hot and cold smoking wild fish developed over 44 years.
Please note that the course starts at 10 am SHARP, as time and weather play a part in the smoking process.
10 am
You will enter the workshop, change into work clothes and learn the Basic Hygiene principles of safe food production.
10:30 am
Meet the fish. Your first lesson will be about the Wild Atlantic Salmon. Here, you will handle and learn about the physiology, provenance, mythological life cycle, cultural heritage and morphology of this legendary wild animal.
11 am
Your second lesson will take you thoroughly through the filleting process of your own Wild Atlantic Salmon, caught by the few remaining legitimate, traditional draft-net fishermen of the River Blackwater in Youghal. This will include knife skills and filleting, as well as learning how to extract the Salmon roe for the production of Bottarga.
12 pm
Your third lesson will be on the art of salting. You will learn about the different techniques, elimination of free water, timings and weight ratios, cause and effect, and direct application of salt to your fillets of wild salmon.
You will dry salt your fillets of wild salmon. These will remain under salt for up to 6 hours.
1 pm
Lunchtime. A long table lunch featuring some of Sally Barnes’ hot and cold-smoked products, local artisan cheeses, salads, pickles, chutneys and bread.
Weather permitting, we might stroll to the neighbouring Ringfort to soak in the West Cork fresh air.
2 pm
It's time to go foraging. A short carpool journey, we will spend the afternoon foraging the local coast/woodlands as your fourth lesson.
Weather/seasonality depending, you will be shown how to identify and harvest sustainably wild foods like Sea Beet, Sea Kale, Sea Radish, Pennywort, Herb Robert, Scurvygrass, Brown Shrimp, Mussels, Common Prawn, Periwinkles, Shore Crabs, Brown Crabs, Gutweed, Sugar Kelp, Chanterelles and Amethyst Deceivers. We will hop between secret locations, ensuring we leave enough wild food for the next person to forage.
You may or may not be blindfolded between locations!
4 pm
Back to the workshop.
4.30 pm
When they have had sufficient time, you will remove your salt-cured salmon fillets from the saltbox, rinse them and remove any remaining blood by gentle manipulation. Then, you will load the kiln with your fish and ignite the hardwood in Sally’s drawers. These will slowly cold-smoke overnight.
Your fifth lesson will be on the science of wood-smoke, looking at the variety of hardwoods suitable for smoking and their effects on flavour and preservation. The kiln drawers will be packed in preparation for firing and overnight smoking. You will learn about the variables of any given day, like humidity, temperature, and weather, how these affect the fish during the smoke cure, and how to control them for optimal results.
5 pm
Time to think about supper. Your sixth lesson will teach you how to prepare and cook your foraged finds and enjoy some authentic and original recipes from coastal living in West Cork while sharing some personal reminiscences and anecdotes of life as an artisan smoker and fisherman’s wife.
6 pm
Supper at the long table where we will enjoy dishes made with the foraged wild ingredients with some salads, cheeses, pickles and fresh fruit. Alcoholic drinks will be served.
8 pm
Return to BnB / Hotel for some RnR. We will recommend some pubs for a drink and a chat with the locals.
DAY TWO
9.30 am
Arrive at the Keep. Prior to embarking on a journey away from the smokery, you will be briefed on the precarious nature of working with wild creatures over coffee/tea.
10 am
In your seventh lesson, you will remove the fillets from the kiln and begin the essential process of trimming the skin and removing the pin bones to distinguish your truly world-class side of wild salmon. We are ready for the next and final phase of the curing process, where the fillets are returned to the kiln and smoked for the rest of the day, depending on the variables discussed on day one.
11 am
We will venture off for the day to learn more about these precious fish from an expert, Mark Boyden, educator, orchestrator of streamscapes.ie - an Aquatic & Biodiversity Community Engagement Project that was conceived to assist with wider efforts to conserve our waters and our wilds.
On the way, we will drop off in Bantry and pick up our picnic for lunch.
12.30 pm
We will join Mark to visit a dedicated education centre located in the beautiful Coomhola Valley, where Mark has ranched wild salmon smolts for several years. You will be introduced to the Water Cycle, the wonders of the local natural world, and how your informed and active participation in environmental stewardship can improve the quality of life now and for those who will follow.
Around 1 pm we will have a picnic lunch of local fare at Coomhola Valley.
After lunch, we travel to Glengarrif, where you can swim in a salmon river and observe the salmon in their element. Time to take in the wild beauty of the surrounding nature reserve.
Bring your swimwear. Towels will be provided.
4.30 pm
It's time to head back to the Smokery.
5.30 pm
The first thing we do is check the salmon in the kiln. By this time, it should be fully cured.
6 pm
Time to think about supper, where Sally will teach you how to prepare her famous smoked haddock chowder, Cullen Skink.
7 pm
Supper time at the long table, during which we will talk about the day's activity with some local alcoholic drinks / homemade cordials.
8 pm
Return to BnB / Hotel for some RnR. We will recommend some local pubs for a drink and a chat with the locals.
DAY THREE
10 am
Arrive at the Keep. Prior to embarking on a journey away from the smokery, we will have our debrief over coffee/tea on what you have learned over the last two days.
Now is the time to ask those final questions.
11 am
Your final session will be to open the kilns after they have been smoking away overnight. You will see what methods are used to examine a fully finished product.
Now, we will vacuum-pack your beautiful wild salmon sides to take home.
12 pm
Handkerchiefs at the ready as you say farewell to Sally and the smokery with your precious wild salmon.
Time to embark on another fantastic adventure, somewhere amongst the hills of West Cork.
Please note
On Day 1 and Day 2, please arrive from 9.30 am onwards. The course starts at 10 am SHARP. On Day 3, please arrive at 10 am.
We recommend that you stay in a local bed and breakfast or hotel. Please check out our recommendations here >
Protective clothing will be provided for the course. Please wear comfortable clothing and flat shoes as you will be working with sharp knives.
As lunch and supper are casual, long-table events, most dietary requirements are easy to accommodate. Please let us know when booking.
Regretfully, bathroom access is not suitable for wheelchair users.
Please have a look at our terms and conditions for booking events.
