Blackball Salami

June 2008
Blackball Salami was founded in 1992 as a family business based in the historic West Coast town of Blackball. It produces fermented, naturally cured and wood smoked salamis as distinct from cooked products and distributes throughout New Zealand. The proprietors Peter and Lindsay Lamont claim to produce the best, highest-quality salamis in the country.

The Lamonts have owned and run the business since November 2006, after emigrating from Glasgow, Scotland, in 2005. Peter is a butcher by trade and has worked in a large meat processing plant employing up to 130 people in Glasgow.

The company was founded by Pat Kennedy, Gary Secker and their wives Jane Wells and Bridget Secker. They started in a home kitchen, where recipes were tested and improved upon, and then moved into the Blackball butchers shop. Pat and Jane bought the business outright in July 2004.

In February 1999 the Blackball Salami premises had a fire and the business went up in smoke. In its place is a new, purpose built premises.

Salamis --The difference between the various types of salamis are due to the kind of meat they contain, the proportion of lean meat and the fineness or coarseness of the mixture. Blackball Salamis are made from a variation of beef, pork and venison.

The raw materials are kept exceptionally lean, although the traditional Italian salami and Kosher-style salami have a fat content added. Only natural wood smoke is used during the smoking process. The salamis are then hung and dried in a humidity/temperature controlled room. During this time the salamis lose between 20% and 30% of their original weight.

Products Blackball Salami makes pork and venison products which are 100% visual lean, made in the old-fashioned way, with natural curing and wood smoking. Almost all products are MSG and gluten free.

The range of continental sausages are also preservative-free, along with a range of cooked sausages, black puddings, and white puddings made with pork and leeks.

Peter with his expertise as a butcher has re-opened the butchery side of the business.

It sells first class cuts of meat that are available are what you would expect to find in the best restaurants.

Sources Blackball Salami buys pork from BMS Meats in Christchurch and from Freshpork in Levin. It buys venison from Alliance Group and from Duncans.

Employment Blackball Salamis employs eight or nine people in the town, which makes it a very important part of the commercial life of the town.

Outlets -- The Company supplies outlets throughout the South Island, Wellington, Masterton and Auckland. In the South Island products go through three main distributors, Eclipse Distributors in Nelson, South Island Gourmet in Christchurch and Blue Water Products in Dunedin.

Blackball Salami is an approved supplier to Foodstuffs South Island Ltd. All product labels have nutritional panels completed as required by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority. Products are aimed at a niche market and have found a sound following among connoisseurs wherever they are available.