Artisan precision and attention to detail
Where the supply chain begins
Between the Norwegian Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, the Faroe Islands offer the perfect conditions for raising healthy, robust salmon: cool sea temperatures, constant currents, open spaces, crystal-clear waters and a pristine environment.
To what nature provides is added a low-stress farming system governed by the rigorous Faroese Veterinary Model, which strengthens controls and establishes by law the continuous improvement of salmon health and welfare standards.
The salmon enters the Upstream production chain following Claudio Cerati’s method, with 50% of processing done by hand to ensure care in every detail and achieve a truly unique product.
A low-stress control system
In these spaces, set in the natural environment of wild Atlantic salmon, each cycle starts again from zero thanks to the “all-in, all-out” strategy, with the site fully restored after every single generation of salmon is farmed — with two precise, decisive goals: the salmon is protected from any spread of disease; the habitat rests while the strong currents of the North Atlantic effectively prepare the site for the next generation.
The salmon are fed with feed free of animal substances.
We therefore certify the absolute quality of our salmon: “No antibiotics, no GMOs, no colourants or other non-natural substances”.
Transparency along the supply chain is a choice that shows respect for consumers who know exactly what they want, what they buy, what they taste.
Those who rightly demand to know how and where the salmon they are about to enjoy is raised, controlled, fed, harvested and processed.
No secrets — only passion, good taste, integrity and respect for nature. And a great, great deal of commitment and attention to detail.
At Upstream we still entrust production to the knowledge and skill of the operator, who carefully selects the right side for each cut and then manually prepares the salmon for packaging.
The salmon is gutted as soon as it is caught and immediately brought to a controlled temperature of 0°C, maintained throughout the journey to Parma, guaranteeing the integrity of the product and the best preparation for smoking. Logistics are organized with rigour to guarantee swift times.
In sterile, constantly sanitized environments, the salmon sides are unpacked, put through quality controls to verify their perfect preservation, and the finest are selected.
The sides are gently washed with water and 5% salt to remove processing and filleting residues, preserving their physical and organoleptic characteristics.
The salmon is treated with a mix of sugar and salt devised by Claudio Cerati. The marinating works in depth, giving the flesh softness and balance. The sides are then washed to remove any residue, arranged on racks and dehumidified.
Smoking takes place at temperatures no higher than 20°C, to preserve the salmon’s natural qualities. We use exclusively beech wood from the Apennines of Parma, ground by us with a dedicated machine. For limited editions, we use barrel wood which, having absorbed the aromas of the product it once held, transfers unique notes to Upstream salmon.
The smoked sides are processed by hand in a clean room, an environment designed to prevent any contamination for the benefit of quality and longer shelf-life. The salmon is then trimmed and cut by hand: the operator selects the right side according to the product to be obtained, then it is vacuum-packed and stored at a controlled temperature of +3°C.
The fast logistics chain links the North Seas to Parma. The finished product arrives fresh in Italy and across the world thanks to precise international shipping.
We were the first, in 2015, to draw up a strict production protocol with the aim of offering the salmon of our dreams: the most wholesome, the purest and leanest, flavourful and delicate. Today, on the market, truly beyond compare.
