our roots

Catsmo's founder, Robert Simon, has always been passionate about fishing. The idea of smoking his catch began when he would return home from fishing trips with too much fresh fish than his family could eat themselves. Over time, Robert perfected his smoking techniques and recipes and began sharing with chef friends in NYC. In time, Robert's little garage smoking operation grew but he never changed his fundamental principles of not compromising when it came to the quality of fish he chose nor his methods.

Catsmo Artisan Smokehouse maintains this long tradition of excellence with hands-on artisanal practices of smoking that are still strictly observed. Each morning fresh salmon is delivered to Catsmo's Catskill Mountain facility directly from the airport. All fish arrives fresh--never frozen--just hours after being pulled from the icy cold waters in which they were raised. Each fish is inspected both by sight and by smell, the only smell that passes inspection is the scent of fresh water, not the smell of fish. 



In 2012, Catsmo joined forces with fine foods purveyor SOLEX Fine Foods and became Solex Catsmo. Under the leadership of Markus Draxler Catsmo Artisan Smokehouse continues to uphold the high standards and proven artisanal techniques required to produce smoked salmon that is always smooth, silky, and buttery in texture--never dry, sticky, or pasty. That difference is the direct result of having the highest standards and a drive to produce the absolute best smoked salmon available.