H. Forman and Son

H. Forman & Son is a salmon smokery located (in a building shaped like a piece of salmon) in Fish Island, London, England run by Conservative MEP, Lance Forman (real name: Lance Anisfeld).[1][2]

H. Forman & Son
IndustryFood
Founded1905 (1905)
FounderHarry (Aaron) Forman
Headquarters
London, E3
United Kingdom
ProductsSmoked fish, cured fish
Websitewww.formans.co.uk

London cure

Forman and Sons produces so-called "London cure" smoked salmon, which is protected under the EU Protected Geographical Indication scheme.[3] The application for protected status was submitted by Lance Forman and was supported by then Mayor of London Boris Johnson (now UK prime minister), who opened the factory in 2009. It is the first London-based food to obtain this EU protected status.[4]

The designation provides protected name status to products under EU law, allowing the London cure to be labelled and protected with an EU trade mark.[5] Forman stated he was "very proud" of the designation,[6] but later dismissed the idea the EU has advanced H. Forman & Son, telling Salmon Business “I can honestly say that having been in the EU hasn’t created any serious commercial advantages for our business".[7]

The London Cure salmon has featured on the menus of the dining rooms in the House of Lords and in the House of Commons and has also been sold in Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason.[4]

Public relations

Following a lengthy dispute, the site of the business was relocated in 2007 from the area which is now the London Olympic Park as part a compulsory purchase order by the London Development Agency (LDA) involving more than 200 companies for the London 2012 Olympics. The cost of relocation to its current premises - a building shaped like a piece of salmon, with a roof resembling salmon skin - was shared between the company and the LDA.[8][9]

The business faced threats of a local boycott in the wake of Lance Forman's election as a London MEP for the Brexit Party, a group which won only 6% of votes locally in the May 2019 European Parliament elections.[10] Police investigations were opened in the run-up to the elections after a 10-metre swastika was spray-painted on the side of the business in a suspected anti-semitic attack.[11][12] Forman has claimed that he does not believe his business was targeted due to his Jewish heritage but rather because he supports Brexit.[13]

In November 2019, the business was publicly criticised by the mayors of Tower Hamlets and Hackney for hosting a public meeting of Turning Point UK, the British branch of Turning Point USA, a controversial, right-wing, pro-Trump organisation. Lance Forman, owner of the business, who was also on a panel at the meeting, defended the decision saying he was in favour of free speech.[14]

References
  1. "European election 2019 – London-wide results". Government of the United Kingdom. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  2. Mathiason, Nick (25 June 2005). "Caviar trader mounts his own Olympic bid". the Guardian. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  3. "Brexit Backing Michael Gove Visits Fish Factory", The Mirror, 13 July 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2019
  4. "EU set to grant special status to salmon from East End smokery", The Guardian, 11 September 2015. Retrieved 19 June 2019
  5. correspondent, Rebecca Smithers Consumer affairs (11 September 2015). "EU set to grant special status to salmon from East End smokery". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  6. Yorke, Harry (13 July 2017). "London's oldest smoked salmon curer receives EU protected status as owner reveals business faced ruin over 2012 Olympics". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  7. Evans, Owen (27 August 2018). "London salmon smokehouse, H. Forman & Son, owner: "I see Brexit as a great opportunity for Britain"". SalmonBusiness. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  8. "Fish factory saved" by Angela Saini, BBC Local, London, 27 December 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2019
  9. "Mayor of London response to a question by Andrew Pelling relating to the London Development Agency", London Assembly website, replied 2 February 2007. Retrieved 20 June 2019
  10. "European Elections: Hackney Wick salmon tycoon wins London seat for Brexit Party", Hackney Citizen, 28 May 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019
  11. "Swastika painted on building of Jewish Brexit party candidate", The Guardian, 8 May 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019
  12. "30ft swastika painted on business belonging to Jewish Brexit party candidate, as police announce investigation", The Telegraph, 8 May 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019
  13. Liphshiz, Cnaan. "A Jewish Brexit Party politician owns London's oldest smoked salmon factory". Times of Israel. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  14. Sheridan, Ed (5 November 2019). "East London Mayors join to condemn local meetings of Turning Point UK". Hackney Citizen. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
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