In Nussbaumen in Aargau, one business has been smoking salmon according to an old tradition for 40 years

As soon as you enter the premises, you notice that smoky scent in the air. “After all, salmon has been smoked here for almost 40 years,” says manager Pamela Kuratli. And in a special way, as we will discover.

The Kuratli delicatessen is located directly on the main road in Nussbaumen, Aargau. Everything takes place here – processing, smoking, production and sale. Just one door separates the shop from the actual smokehouse. And the business has been running for 40 years, always by the family. That was not always the plan, but more about that later. First let’s talk about the fish.

The secret family recipe

So what’s special about Kuratli smoked salmon? There are a lot of things to get right here – after all, the family-run business has been supplying restaurants, hotels and retailers for four decades. “It all starts with the fish,” says Pamela Kuratli, “and thanks to our very good relationships with our suppliers, we get the best and most beautiful salmon. We could buy it at a lower cost, but very high quality is one of our most important values. Anyone who buys from us is looking for quality.”

The production cycle lasts one working week. The salmon is delivered fresh every week and smoked and processed within a few days. And the same tradition has been followed for the past 40 years.

Pamela Kuratli opens the door to the production premises. In the first room, the salmon sides are prepared for smoking. The temperature is cool and the place looks sterile. “The salmon is seasoned here – according to a family recipe,” says the manager. When asked which herbs and spices the recipe contains, she answers vaguely and with a wink: “Salt, pepper – that’s all I can tell you.”

In the next room are the old brick kilns. They belonged to a butcher’s and were already there when the salmon smokehouse took over. “We sew all the salmon sides by hand and hang them on racks in the kilns.” This traditional method of smoking is much more complex than industrial smoking. Pamela Kuratli expertly stirs up the embers: “Depending on the weather and humidity, smoking may take a longer or shorter time. I may not finish work until 7 o’clock in the evening. But that’s part of the job.”

Thrust into the family business

The team consists of six people. Pamela Kuratli feels comfortable with this size of business. Self-determination is more important to her: “It’s manageable. If someone is unable to work, we can still do the job between us.” She is often asked if she wants to expand the company: “I don’t dream of growing the business. My aim has always been to ensure top quality. I’d much rather keep it the way it is.”

Pamela Kuratli goes into the next room. Here the smoked salmon is processed and trimmed, and the bones are removed. It’s one of her favourite steps: “I like to be precise and I like to do a clean job.” The manager says and does all this so naturally that makes it hard to believe that she took over the family business more or less by chance.

Of course, the smokehouse was part of her and her brother’s life as they grew up, and they always helped out. She had always been very familiar with the product and the company. And yet: “I didn’t grow up thinking I would take over here, not at all.” Only when her father unexpectedly fell ill did Pamela Kuratli step in to provide emergency cover. And stayed there. That was 12 years ago. The organisational and administrative aspects were easy for her, as she had previously worked as a personal assistant in a large company. The product-related work she learnt directly from her staff.
 

The shop: a stroke of luck during the pandemic

As far as production is concerned, Pamela Kuratli continues her father’s tradition. Quality and craftsmanship are still the top priority. In the 1970s, the founder of the salmon smokehouse travelled as a cook and kitchen chef to Asia, where he learnt to smoke salmon. He brought his knowledge back to Switzerland and founded Salmo Fumica AG, the company behind Kuratli Lachs & Feinkost. It was during his time that the connection with Swiss Life was forged, in the form of occupational pension insurance: “I stay with Swiss Life because we have the best customer advisor. I feel that I’m in good hands and that’s the most important thing to me,” says the current manager.

Pamela Kuratli has kept the business much as it was. One thing that she changed is the size of the shop: “The shop part used to be much smaller. I’ve expanded it and made it more accessible.” A stroke of luck, as it turned out. Because the pandemic came shortly afterwards. Key customers disappeared almost overnight: “But because we were able to open the shop, there was an incredible influx of private customers, who showed great solidarity with us local businesses. It helped us through a difficult time.”

Although Pamela Kuratli became self-employed unwittingly, she is now glad that she took the step. She likes the personal responsibility and the sense of self-determination that comes with it, even if it’s not always easy: “At the end of the day I’m tired – but happy.”

images: Philip Brand