For exports from one EU country to another, we unfortunately have to charge the valid VAT rates for the respective products in the country of destination. That VAT rate is already calculated in the prices on the website, so that is the reason why there is a difference between the catalogue and the website prices. Up until recently, the website added the VAT at the end of the checkout process, but the result is the same. We didn't write it on the order form, but of course the same applies to orders that we receive via order form or by phone.  
A new EU regulation forces us to charge the VAT rate of the country the product is being shipped to. So if for example, you live in Ireland and order smoked salmon to be delivered to Germany, the VAT rate charged in your order corresponds to the VAT rate for smoked salmon in Germany.  

For deliveries to Ireland and most countries of central Europe, shipments take 24 hours to arrive. For deliveries to countries further afield like the US, Japan, Canada and Switzerland, we count 48 hours.

Deliveries to islands will take longer due to the restricted accessibility.

Please note that there are areas where deliveries can take longer than normal. 

Smoked salmon, trout, mackerel etc. usually keep for at least three weeks as long as the pack is sealed and chilled in the refrigerator. This is due to the salting, smoking and vacuum packing of the fish (see also "How we smoke our salmon"). You can see the Use-By date on the back of the vacuum pack when you pull it out of the cardboard sleeve.
Cold smoked salmon is ideally eaten when it arrives and within the time indicated by the use-by date. Keep it in the fridge, and it will keep very well until the end of the shelf life. You can find the use-by date on the back of the vacuum packs. It is okay to freeze the hot smoked salmon, mackerel and trout. However, we do not recommend to freeze cold smoked salmon because of its more delicate texture. Gravadlax cannot be home frozen.
We send out our fish products on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays (except for bank holidays in the Republic of Ireland). We do not dispatch on Thursdays or Fridays because we want to give the courier service plenty of time to deliver before the weekends just in case of a delay of delivery.

The freight costs depend on two variables: the destination and the weight. The first kilo is always the most expensive one, every following kilo to the same address gets charged at a lower rate. Also, the weight is rounded up to the next full kilo (2.5 kg = 3 kg in shipping weight terms).

For this reason, it makes sense to bundle orders if possible. Gather orders from your family, friends and work colleagues and have the entire order delivered to one address.

See here for more information about freight - you will find downloadable information on how to calculate the freight. When you place an order on this website, the system will automatically come up with the freight costs, so there is no need for you to calculate them. The freight will be displayed during "Checkout".

We deliver to Ireland, all European countries, the UK, Canada, the US and other oversea destinations. There are countries and islands, however, where we have experienced delays in deliveries due to customs formalities, various delivery obstacles, remote areas etc. Please ask us if you are not sure about the possibility of delivery. One of those countries would be South Africa, and examples for islands would be Corsica, the Canaries and other islands. We do not deliver to Australia or New Zealand due to customs regulations.
Unfortunately not. No courier service will deliver to PO Boxes. You always need to give a physical address to be able to have the order delivered the recipient.
UPS will send an automated email to the email address that we got on file for you, when we create the shipping label. That email contains the tracking number and a link to the shipment progress. UPS will also send you automated emails and in most cases, SMS to your mobile. DPD (for deliveries in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) will send an SMS on the morning of delivery to the phone number of the recipient. That SMS will contain an indication of a delivery time window.
When placing an order over the internet, you will receive an automated email with a summary of your order. This email will be sent to the email address you put into the order so please make sure there are no spelling mistakes. After this, there will be no more updates given as to the progress of your order, as our website is not integrated with the rest of our order processing software system. You should receive an automated email by DHL for shipments to the outside of Ireland informing you of the progress of the shipment.
Especially for deliveries in Ireland and Northern Ireland, it is important to have the mobile number of the recipients. They will receive a text message in the morning of the day of delivery to inform them of the time window of delivery. The driver might even call the recipient to get directions. We will not be able to assume responsibility for a delivery gone wrong due to a missing or wrong telephone number. We also need a valid post code / zip code or Eircode for destinations in the Republic of Ireland. We will not be able to process your order without one.
When ordering goods from our site for delivery to countries outside the European Union, they may be subjected to import duties and taxes, which are levied once the package reaches the specified destination. Any additional charges for customs clearance must be borne by you. We have no control over these charges and cannot predict what they may be.   Customs policies vary widely from country to country, so you should contact your local customs office for further information.   Additionally, please note that when ordering from our site, you are considered the importer of record and must comply with all laws and regulations of the country in which you are receiving the goods. It is important to note that cross-border deliveries may be subject to opening and inspection by customs authorities.  
Nothing at all - all we do with them is use it when we process your order. We follow a strict policy of not passing personal details on to other parties. See our privacy policy
Yes it is. Everything that needs to be encrypted is encrypted. Your credit card details are not saved on the website, so nobody can have unauthorised access to them.
If you would like to know the value of your currency in Euros, you can use this link, which will bring you to a website that will do the calculation for you.
Yes to both. You can buy our smoked salmon for example in the Duty Free Shop in Shannon Airport. - For Canada, you can bring up to 20kg per person. Even though it is allowed into Canada, you still must declare the smoked fish products on your declaration form.
The terms COLD and HOT refer to the temperature at the time of smoking. Cold smoking is the way the salmon is traditionally smoked in Ireland and central Europe: at about 32° Celsius for about 8 hours.   The Scandinavians are having their own way of smoking at about 80° Celsius. The salmon that is smoked this way is called hot smoked (or some people call it also barbecued) salmon. It has nothing to do with hot spices, just with the temperature at which the salmon is smoked. The texture is flakier and the colour lighter than the cold smoked salmon. Here you can find out more about the ways of smoking salmon.

Wild salmon has been caught by fishermen in Ireland’s rivers in small quantities and under great restrictions. Learn more about it here

Organic salmon is farmed in aquacultures around the Irish coasts. It is farmed based on the organic principles (small amount of fish in the cages, organic food, no pre-emptive veterinary treatments). It presents a very good alternative to the still vulnerable stocks of wild salmon. Learn more here

Plain hot smoked salmon has no added spices on top, it is ideal for gourmets who like the natural taste of the salmon as it is. The spiced hot smoked salmon features crushed spices like peppercorns, paprika, herbs and mustard seeds on top all of which add a delicious flavour to the salmon.
Our fish and also the other products that we sell in our Visitor Centre come from Ireland. We try to source all our products as close to home as possible. As to the raw materials, we are convinced that the Irish fish is the best quality we can source, so why stray somewhere else to buy it?
Salmon is one of the most versatile foods one can imagine. Many pescetarians appreciate salmon as a "substitute" for smoked ham or any kind of meat in the dishes. You can use it in almost any savoury dish, be it cold, warm or grilled, or just with some bread as it is. Try our hot smoked salmon in summer salads - simple and at the same time very sophisticated. Or the cold smoked salmon with asparagus, new potatoes, sauce hollandaise and parsley sprinkled on top - a great variation on the traditional German dish of asparagus and smoked ham. You can make quiches with it, or just eat it with pasta and a white sauce. Get inspired by our recipes for all occasions!

Basically, white wines are recommended for fish dishes. This should be dry wines, not sweet(ish) wines.

Gewuerztraminer (from Alsace for example) is renowned for going really well with smoked salmon, as it is a kind of full and strong-bodied white wine.

Best choose a wine that is a bit on the heavy side, not too light, because the fish itself has a strong taste, and you want an equal companion for your fish dish.

We only use salt, natural wood smoke and the fish itself. For some varieties, we use different marinades which may consist of one or several of these ingredients (or as specified by the product name): honey, lemon, dill, fennel, whiskey, dried seaweed and our own spice mix* (paprika, yellow mustard seeds, onion, black pepper, parsley, oregano, marjoram, chili, sesame seeds, nuts/nut derivatives).

We do not use gluten or ingredients that contain gluten. Our products are dairy- and egg-free, and don't contain crustaceans or celery. They are GMO free, and free of any preservatives or colorants. They are suitable for pescetarians.

*PLEASE NOTE: In the spice mix that we use for the hot smoked spiced salmon and spiced mackerel, there are mustard seeds, sesame seeds and traces of nuts present. So we have to advise you that we are using these allergens on our premises.

No. We do not add anything to our products except for salt, smoke and some spices which are potent preservatives in themselves. We do not believe in spoiling a perfect product that nature gave us with man-made chemicals.

In short: the Burren Smokehouse and the Roadside Tavern, the Burren Brewery as well as the Burren Storehouse (since 2015). The latest venture, the "Taste the Atlantic - Salmon Experience" was launched in October 2019.

The Roadside Tavern has been in the Curtin family since 1893, and still today it looks like a pub from 50 or more years ago. In 1989, Birgitta Hedin-Curtin and her husband Peter Curtin set up the Burren Smokehouse which is going from strength to strength.