Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder lead call to take farmed salmon off menus

Angela Hartnett OBE and Luke Holder have joined Off The Table and signed an open letter urging fellow chefs to remove farmed salmon from their menus. 

In a joint statement, the high-profile duo encouraged “all chefs to take farmed salmon off their menus”, after adding their names to an open letter in support of the Off The Table campaign. 

The pair highlighted the important role the hospitality sector has in sustainable food sourcing: “chefs have both the power and the duty to protect marine ecosystems and the future of British seafood. By refusing unsustainable choices, we can set the standard for diners, suppliers, and peers”. 

The letter comes at a “pivotal ecological turning point”. Rod catches in Scotland have fallen to their lowest levels since records began, with open-net salmon farming a major driver. 

It also arrives at a time when the Scottish salmon industry is already facing ongoing scrutiny following a series of high-profile incidents over the past year, including the mass escape of 75,000 farmed salmon, the unexpected deaths of more than 250,000 fish, and leading salmon producer Mowi’s loss of the Royal Warrant. 

Off The Table calls for chefs and diners to stop serving farmed salmon due to its unsustainable environmental impact. Open-net salmon farming has been shown to fuel pollution, disease, and parasites, all of which threaten wild salmon and the wider marine environment.

More than 250 chefs and food industry figures have already joined the growing movement against farmed salmon, with the campaign now reaching a new milestone in public awareness and industry approval thanks to this latest support from Hartnett and Holder. The pair co-run Hartnett Holder & Co at the luxury hotel Lime Wood in Hampshire, while Angela also directs Michelin-starred restaurant, Murano.

The choice is stark: “wild salmon and salmon farms cannot co-exist”.

As the letter explains, “we have to choose if we want to ensure the survival of the magnificent wild salmon or allow farmed salmon laced with antibiotics and sea lice to prevail”. 

Has reading this got you craving a salmon-free menu? We’ve got you covered. Visit the Off The Table directory of over 250 food lovers – like Angela and Luke – who are serving up delicious, seasonal, and sustainable plates.