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Chalk Stream Foods proves a hit with P&O Cruises

A Romsey-based company ishitting the high seas thanks to P&O Cruises, which has become one of itsbest customers since it launched last year.

Chalk Stream Foods sources, prepares and deliversthe finest,freshest rainbow trout from farms on the River Itchen and the River Testdirectly to restaurants across the UK. These world famous spring-fed chalkstreams with gin clear water, constant water flows and excellent light andvegetation create havens for the fish, making them rich and lean with adistinctive, sensational taste. All of their farms are long-established andsustainable operations, approved by GLOBALG.A.P, Freedom Food and Quality TroutUK. They are also members of Hampshire Fare which is well-known in the regionfor passionately supporting the county's unique and talented food producers.

Last year, P&O Cruises purchasedapproximately five tonnes of the company's hot smoked trout, which provided amassive boost in its first year of trading. Chalk Stream Foods has alsoprovided P&O Cruises with 100 kilos of trout fillets and, just recently, 20kilos of smoked butter, which is served with freshly baked bread. P&OCruises serves the hot smoked trout as a starter on the menus on every cruise .Next year, P&O Cruises plans to introduce Chalk Stream Foods' non-smokedtrout in the ships' Epicurean restaurants, which fuse classic dining elementswith the best of modern British dining.

Hugo Hardman of Chalk Stream Foods comments: "Weare delighted to be working with P&O Cruises and providing them and theirdiscerning guests with a unique quality product. We are passionate aboutinstigating a trout revival and getting this delicious, healthy andquintessential British fish back onto menus and are thrilled that P&OCruises feels the same."

At Chalk Stream Foods, they only harvest to order and when theytake orders, the fish are still swimming. The company's motto is ‘water towaiter in 48 hours', which gives restaurants the freshest possible fish, manyof which weigh over two kilograms with a favourable "bone to fleshratio". These large fish can also provide great fillets, as well as wholesides of hot and cold smoked trout.

All the farms are fed by the gin clear waters of the Testand Itchen and this water, which is class 1A rated (the highest ratingachievable from the Environment Agency), provides the perfect habitat for thetrout to grow and eliminates the "muddy" taste often associated withtrout. The consistent flow of water through the farms mean the trout areconstantly swimming and as a result are very lean.

Along with P&O Cruises, Chalk Stream Foods also suppliestrout to The Pig, Chewton Glen, Limewood Hotel, Wiltons, The Shed, The Rabbit,ETM group, Firmdale Hotels, The Square, L'Autre Pied, Pied a Terre, The CubittGroup and the Burberry Cafe Thomas's.

For more information or tobook call P&O Cruises on 0843 374 0111, visit www.pocruises.co.uk or visit your localtravel agent.

About P&O Cruises

P&O Cruises has a fleet of eight shipsoffering holidays tailored to British tastes combining genuine service, a senseof occasion and attention to detail, ensuring passengers have the holiday of alifetime, every time. P&O Cruises smallest ship, Adonia, is on charter tosocial impact brand Fathom until the end of 2017. Britannia, a new 141,000 tonship, was named by HM The Queen on March 10, 2015.

For further pressinformation please contact:

Michele Andjel, michele.andjel@carnivalukgroup.com 023 8065 6653 / 07730 732 072

Jennifer Humm, Jennifer.humm@carnivalukgroup.com 023 8065 6652 / 07730 732 065

Jenny Hadley, jenny.hadley@pocruises.com 023 8065 6650 / 07825 120 088

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