Raymond Robinson from Robinson's Smokehouse in West Buckland

Based in West Buckland, one man has created his own smoking haven.

Raymond Robinson wanted to recreate a taste he grew to love as a child, from a smoked fish for Sunday lunch or visiting a smokehouse with his family, the smells associated with the smoking process bring him nothing but joy.

“I never thought I could do something like this, but then I realised, that anyone can do it,” he said.

“It takes a lot of trial and error to learn how to get the best flavours, and you learn that everything requires different amounts in time in the smokers.

“It is all about practice and learning from your mistakes.”

Mr Robinson, who runs a business selling catering oils, was inspired by a smokehouse in Suffolk, where his family moved, but was only allowed help from them if he promised to smoke in the traditional way. That means he promised to smoke with actual oak logs as opposed to using wood chippings.

He kept his promise, and smokes all his products onsite using Somerset oak that is stored outside in all its nature to ensure optimum flavour.

Two types of smoking takes place onsite, cold and hot. The cold smoking is used to ensure optimum flavour in the product, whether it is meat, fish, or cheese. The hot smoking is then used on some products to ensure it is tasty, crisp, and ready to eat.

Mr Robinson said: “My favourite product has to be the ham hocks, it is so full of flavour and perfect to cook with as part of a different recipe, I like mine as a carbonara.

“The most adventurous meat I ever tried to smoke was a fillet of beef - and it worked out perfectly.

“The fish products are the quickest to smoke, some only need a few hours, but then I have things like the garlic that takes four days to smoke.”

Mr Robinson adds little else to his products, but occasionally something calls for a saltwater brine or glaze.

A sense of community is something Mr Robinson sees as highly important, and he wants to get involved as much as possible.

As well as sourcing all of his produce locally, he also wants to make connections within West Buckland and further afield in surrounding Taunton and Wellington.

He took part in Blackdown Food Festival and hopes to take part in upcoming events at West Buckland Village Hall.

The store went through a trial period for six months prior to opening, where Mr Robinson gave away samples of what he would soon have on offer.

He said: “The best I can ask for is good feedback, nothing makes me happier than having a customer return.”

After moving from Liverpool to Minehead at just 15-years-old, the father-of-five is now well-rooted in the area, and won’t be leaving anytime soon.

“I am invested in this now,” he said.

“This kind of business suits Somerset, and I will always consider it my home, I could never see myself moving away.”

Robinson’s Smokehouse has now been open for one year, and Mr Robinson is excited about the seasonal treats ahead with Christmas around the corner. Speciality products like smoke