Sally Barnes began smoke-curing fish in 1979 as a way to preserve the wild Atlantic bounty she and her husband were catching off the West Cork coast. A fisherwoman and a commercial fisherman’s wife, Sally taught herself traditional smoking techniques through hands-on trial and error. In 1981, she established Woodcock Smokery, which became renowned for its handcrafted, cold-smoked Wild Atlantic Salmon, later awarded the first Irish Supreme Champion at the Great Taste Awards in 2006.
Over the years, Sally’s dedication to wild fish and artisanal methods has earned her numerous honours, most recently the Euro-Toques Craft Award (2018), the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Irish Food Writers’ Guild (2022), and the Movers & Shakers Award from Georgina Campbell (2024).
Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Financial Times, The Irish Times, Irish Country Living, BBC Travel, and Dan Saladino’s internationally acclaimed book Eating to Extinction. She has also appeared on food television programmes alongside chefs such as Richard Corrigan, Neven Maguire, and Donal Skehan.
With a background in education and a lifelong passion for the natural world, Sally is a tireless advocate for sustainable fishing and ocean stewardship. She travels widely to speak at conferences and to teach about the value of wild fish and traditional preservation techniques. Her masterclasses and workshops have taken place at Ballymaloe Cookery School, Lanzarote Saborea Food Festival, the James Beard Foundation events centre in New York, Slow Food International events, and many other festivals, fairs, and private events.
Today, Sally continues her life’s work at Woodcock Smokery in West Cork - producing traditionally smoked wild fish and mentoring the next generation of cooks, producers, and food lovers through her fish-smoking school, The Keep.
Sally Barnes,
one of Ireland’s culinary legends
“Sally Barnes is a keystone in the age-old traditions of our Irish food culture.”
— Dan Saladino, BBC
Trailer for documentary on Sally Barnes, due for release in late 2024, produced by Be.Polar Studio
Who is Sally Barnes?
Sally Ferns-Barnes is one of the key figures in Ireland’s food renaissance of the past forty years. Alongside pioneering women like Myrtle Allen, Veronica Steele, Jeffa Gill, Iris Diebrok, Giana Ferguson, Madeline McKeever, Sally McKenna, Darina Allen, and Danette Milne, she has helped shape a vibrant, resilient food culture that honours tradition, community, and the Irish landscape.
As one of the world’s true wild fish warriors, Sally is a long-time member of Slow Fish and mentors interns from the University of Gastronomic Sciences (Slow Food) each year, passing on her deep, hands-on knowledge of traditional fish-smoking.
She regularly travels the world to speak about the environmental threats facing our oceans - from plastic pollution and climate change to overfishing - and the urgent need to protect marine ecosystems for generations to come.
A self-taught smoker, Sally founded Woodcock Smokery in 1981, working exclusively with the best of Ireland’s wild fish. As wild Atlantic salmon became increasingly scarce, she adapted by working with sustainably sourced albacore tuna, haddock, pollack, and mackerel - all of which have earned her continued acclaim.
In 2020, Sally launched The Keep - a creative and educational space beside the smokery - where she teaches masterclasses in fish curing and smoking, preserving and sharing these vital skills and stories.
And somehow, in the midst of it all, she raised two beautiful daughters, who are the lights of her life.
Sally has appeared in many publications, books and television programmes
Speak to Sally about appearing at your event
When Sally is not smoking wild fish or hosting workshops and events at The Keep, she travels the world to deliver talks and masterclasses at universities, festivals, and fairs. If you would like to hire Sally to speak or teach a workshop at your event or organisation, please get in touch.
Awards and Memberships
