Arbroath smokie Arbroath smokie The Arbroath smokie is a type of smoked haddock – a speciality of the town of Arbroath in Angus, Scotland. The Arbroath Smokie is said to have originated in the small fishing village of Auchmithie, three miles northeast of Arbroath. Local legend has it a store caught fire one night, destroying barrels of haddock preserved in salt. The following morning, the people found some of the barrels had caught fire, cooking the haddock inside. Inspection revealed the haddock to be quite tasty. It is much more likely the villagers were of Scandinavian descent, as the 'Smokie making' process
Arbroath to be the source of the sails used on the "Cutty Sark". In 1867, the mills in Arbroath employed 4,620 people. Arbroath was also prominent in the manufacture of shoes and lawnmowers; local firm Alexander Shanks founded in 1840 and based at Dens Iron Works, supplied mowers to the Old Course at St Andrews and the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Shanks was taken over in the 1960s by another major local firm, Giddings & Lewis-Fraser Ltd. This company had evolved from the business of Douglas Fraser, established in 1832 and mainly concerned with manufacturing flax and canvas.