Four people charged by CPS after NFCU smoked salmon fraud investigation

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has charged four people with conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation over the marketing of smoked salmon as Scottish despite being sourced, in full or in part, from Norway.

The charges follow what the Food Standards Agency (FSA) described as a “lengthy and complex investigation” by its National Food Crime Unit (NFCU). Prosecutors formally laid the charges when the defendants appeared at York Magistrates’ Court on 8 January 2026.

The case marks the culmination of an investigation opened in May 2022, after allegations of misrepresentation emerged as a North Yorkshire-based smokehouse collapsed into administration. The business had been a significant supplier of smoked salmon into the UK retail market.

Prosecutors allege the individuals fraudulently passed off salmon supplied by Bleiker’s Smoke House Ltd as Scottish salmon, when the product instead consisted in full or part of Norwegian salmon. The alleged offences relate to a period between 20 August 2021 and 30 March 2022.

Andrew Cant, specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said:

These offences relate to the mis-selling of Scottish salmon when allegedly they contained Norwegian Salmon between 20th August 2021 and 30th March 2022.

Our prosecutors have worked closely with officers of the Food Standards Agency's National Food Crime Unit who have carried out the investigation.”

He added:

The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are active and that they have a right to a fair trial.

It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”

The NFCU said it is continuing to work alongside the CPS and Bleiker’s Smoke House Ltd as the case progresses. The case moves to Teesside Crown Court in Middlesbrough for a hearing on 6 February.

At the time of its collapse, Bleiker’s Smoke House employed 86 staff and supplied fish products to major UK supermarkets including Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. It was subsequently purchased by seafood specialist, The Salmo Group in September 2022.