Stewart Island Smoked Salmon Ltd is run by Nic Adlam and chef Gary Huggins.
''We get the salmon from the Sanford Salmon Farm in Big Glory Bay and that goes to Bluff to get processed and then back to us,'' Ms Adlam said.
''We smoke it and package it.
''It is authentic Stewart Island and we are very proud of it.''
She said Mr Huggins started making and selling the smoked salmon for the island's Church Hill restaurant where he also worked, about 10 years ago.
''It was Gary's signature dish.
''When times got tough I went to Christchurch to work and took some salmon back to friends.
''Every time I visited the island I had a list of people who wanted the salmon.''
From there she attended the Christchurch farmers markets and, as the salmon grew more popular, she attended more farmers markets.
She said although they did sell to one supermarket and a handful of boutique outlets, most of their sales came from farmers markets and fairs.
''We started out just doing one market three years ago and now, in the summer time, we do 15 markets a week.''
These include Cromwell, Clyde, Queenstown and Christchurch and she has roped in some family in Wellington to sell at markets up there.
''We like taking the direct approach to market our product,'' she said.
''If we sell direct we reap the rewards.''
The couple handle about three tonnes of salmon a month on average.
A side of salmon is about 1kg and they are smoked over manuka and packaged.
Mr Huggins has to remove the bones from each side by hand.
''Gary can pinbone 20kg in about half an hour, like plucking eyebrows.''
They attended the awards ceremony last week.
''We are pretty proud of ourselves,'' she said.
Gertz Ladder and Catering, of Cromwell, received a highly commended award in the same competition.
- by Yvonne O'Hara