About Us

Our Story

It all started in 2014 by the River Itchen near Winchester. Over a pub lunch Nick (the owner of a local trout farm) first introduced Hugo (who had recently sold a coffee business) to trout farming on the Test and Itchen Rivers - a small localised industry that had been raising quality rainbow trout for decades.

Hugo founded ChalkStream® the same year and immediately enlisted the help of fish obsessive Arthur. The idea was simple: get one of Britain's most overlooked fish back on the menu. At the time farmed trout had a reputation of being small, bony and muddy, so Hugo, Arthur and Nick set out to show chefs how good trout can be when grown in fast-flowing chalk-stream conditions. They invited chefs to visit the farms and try the fish and slowly support grew and word‑of‑mouth spread to put ChalkStream® on the menus of The Ritz, The Pig restaurants and Lime Wood.

When COVID hit and the restaurants closed, ChalkStream® pivoted to home delivery. Hugo famously said “you can’t furlough fish” so he and his team began driving trout door‑to‑door, ensuring the farms could continue operating. Today, we supply top restaurants, iconic events, fish counters and direct to home.

What We Do

We source large freshwater trout from farms on the world-famous Test and Itchen Rivers. The trout start life in a state-of-the-art hatchery and are then slow grown for two and half years in fast‑flowing chalk‑stream water to develop a clean, delicate flavour and a lean, well‑defined flesh. Fresh trout are harvested to order and we partner with Severn and Wye Smokery to produce award winning hot and cold oak-smoked trout and a range of cures and pâtés. We currently supply trout to restaurants, hotels, events, fish counters, farm shops, delis and home customers. 

Our Supplier Farms

The farms are built on the sites of old water mills and benefit from exceptional volumes of pure chalk‑stream water flowing through custom‑designed raceways, tanks and outlet streams. They are gravity‑fed to ensure a constant flow, mirroring the trouts' natural habitat. The farms are fully segregated from the rivers to prevent escapees and protect wild fish habitats. The water leaving the farms passes through settlement channels to ensure it returns to the rivers in good condition. You can find out more about the farms here.

Protecting the Chalk Streams

Chalk streams are globally rare with around 85% of the world's chalk stream water found in Southern England. The farms monitor river ecology through independent benthic testing and routine water quality monitoring to ensure they have a minimal environmental impact. We also support restoration projects on the rivers helping improve habitats for wild fish. You can find out more about protecting the rivers here and restoration projects here.

Sustainability and Welfare

ChalkStream is a member of the RSPCA Assured scheme, and all supplier farms follow its welfare standards for rearing, transport and slaughter. Our farms have Global G.A.P. certification for safe and responsible aquaculture practices. Furthermore, The Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide rates freshwater rainbow trout with Global G.A.P. certification as a “best choice” (rating 2).

The farms have worked with the same feed manufacturer over many years to develop a sustainable micro‑balanced diet. 85 % of the protein comes from vegetable sources such as GM‑free soy protein concentrate, faba beans, wheat and corn. The small fish meal and fish oil content it from the trimmings of fish caught sustainably in UK and EU waters. Find out more about the feed here.

Find us

ChalkStream® is a trademark of Chalk Stream Foods Ltd (Company No. 09107072).
Old Salisbury Lane, Awbridge, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 0GD
Telephone: 01794 330000 · sales@chalkstreamfoods.co.uk

Certifications and Awards

In January 2026 Hugo, Nick and Arthur were at the House of Commons with Caroline Nokes MP to collect the MP's Choice Food and Drink Manufacturer Award 2025, a testament to how far we have come as a business.

• RSPCA Assured – all farms adhere to RSPCA welfare standards.

• Global G.A.P. Aquaculture Certified – our farms have been certified for over 15 years.

• Marine Conservation Society Good Fish Guide – our trout is rated “best choice” (2).

• MarinTrust Responsibly Supplied – we have chain‑of‑custody certification for sustainable marine ingredients.

• 3 Star Great Taste Award 2026- the prestigious 3 stars were awarded to our vertical cut cold smoked trout.