Meadowland Smokery

A few miles inland from the Devon coastline, in the countryside around Colyton, Ben and Abigail run a family business that began life in 2017 as the Devon Eel Company. The name changed as the product list grew, but the founding craft stayed put: smoked eel, done by a method they keep firmly to themselves. It has since turned up in over 50 Michelin-starred kitchens in the UK, which tells you most of what you need to know.

Smoked eel is sold whole or as fillets, with whole eels coming in at a minimum of 800g and varying in shape and size. They are proud to sell the whole fish rather than just the trimmed centre, and it remains their customers' first choice. Chefs pair it with beetroot, horseradish or bacon. Buy whole if you are confident with a filleting knife; take the fillets if you would rather skip that part.