Home / Areas served / Johannesburg
Trout supplier for Johannesburg restaurants, delis and caterers
Fresh and smoked trout from our own fish in the Mpumalanga Highlands, delivered to Johannesburg kitchens on a scheduled run so you can plan your menu around it.
- Fish health checked before every dispatch
- Stocking advice with every order
- You speak to the people who raise the fish
- Delivering to Johannesburg
A trout supplier you can plan a menu around
Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa, and its restaurants, delis and caterers buy fish from a long chain of suppliers. Stillriver Trout Breeding Centre shortens that chain. We breed and raise rainbow trout in the Mpumalanga Highlands, harvest and smoke our own fish, and deliver to Johannesburg on a scheduled run.
For a kitchen, that means a few practical things. You know the harvest date. You speak to the people who raised the fish, not a call centre. And a standing order can stay steady from one month to the next, because we control the fish from egg to harvest.
What Johannesburg buyers order
Restaurants
Whole fish for kitchens that butcher in-house, and fillets for kitchens that do not. Trout cooks quickly and suits a lunch menu as well as a plated dinner. Details on the wholesale trout page.
Delis and fish counters
Cold-smoked ribbons and hot-smoked fillets for the counter and the fridge, plus fresh fish for shops with a fish counter. See smoked trout for the range.
Caterers
Smoked trout for platters and canapés, whole fish for a plated main course. Tell us the date and head count and we will help with quantities. For ideas, our smoked trout recipes are a quick starting point.
Scheduled delivery runs
We deliver to Johannesburg on a fixed schedule rather than on demand. That is deliberate. A fixed run lets us harvest to order, keep the fish cold all the way, and keep the price steady for regular buyers.
Send your order
Product, volume and preferred delivery day, by WhatsApp or the order form.
We confirm the run
We tell you which run your order joins and send the current price list.
Harvest and dispatch
Fish are harvested for the run and travel chilled. Smoked trout travels sealed.
Delivery
Get fresh fish onto ice or into the coldest part of the fridge straight away. Fresh trout has a shelf life of 10 to 14 days on ice.
What drives the price: the product, the volume, how often you order and how your delivery fits the run. Ask for the current wholesale price list.
A note for Gauteng dam owners
Johannesburg sits on the Highveld, and most of its rain falls in summer, often as afternoon thundershowers. We are sometimes asked for fingerlings for farm dams in Gauteng. In our view, most Highveld farm dams in the province are not a good fit for stocked trout: they tend to be too shallow and too warm in summer to hold trout through to autumn. We would rather say that up front than sell you fish that will not last.
If you have a deep, spring-fed dam and want an honest opinion, send us the details. Read stocking trout in dams first, and note that stocking trout is regulated in South Africa.
Why Highlands trout for a Johannesburg kitchen
Most of South Africa's trout is farmed in a few cool regions, and inland Mpumalanga is one of them. That is where our fish come from. For a Johannesburg buyer, it means trout that is grown in the province next door, not imported, with a supplier you can phone, and a farm you can visit.
It also means we can answer the questions a chef or deli manager should ask: what size the fish are, when they were harvested, how they were handled after harvest and how they were smoked. If you want to see it for yourself, the farm near Dullstroom is open for farm visits by booking.
When you contact us, tell us your current fish supplier's delivery pattern. If our run fits it, switching is easy. If it does not, we will tell you so rather than promise a schedule we cannot keep. Kitchens that are new to trout can start with a small trial order of fillets and smoked trout, then settle into a standing order once they know what sells.
Questions from Johannesburg kitchens
How often do you deliver trout to Johannesburg?
We deliver to Johannesburg on a scheduled run, so standing orders arrive on the same day each cycle and you can plan menus and stock around it. Tell us your volumes and preferred delivery day, and we will confirm which run your order joins. One-off orders for events can join a run too.
How much is trout per kg?
The price depends on the product, the volume and how often you order. Whole fish, fillets, cold-smoked ribbons and hot-smoked fillets are priced differently, and a regular standing order is priced differently from a one-off. Ask for the current wholesale price list and we will send it with the Johannesburg delivery details.
How long does fresh trout keep?
Fresh trout has a shelf life of 10 to 14 days on ice. Keep it iced or in the coldest part of the fridge from the moment it arrives and rotate stock by delivery date. Because we harvest our own fish, we can tell you the harvest date on every delivery.
Can I stock trout in my dam in Gauteng?
In our view, most Highveld farm dams in Gauteng are not a good fit for stocked trout. Trout need water that stays cold and well oxygenated through summer, and many dams here are too shallow and warm for that. If you are unsure, read stocking trout in dams before buying fish, and note that stocking trout is regulated.
Do you supply caterers for one-off events?
Yes. Caterers often order smoked trout for platters and canapés, or whole fish for a plated dinner. Give us the date, the head count and the dishes you have in mind, and we will suggest quantities and which delivery run suits your event. Order early in busy months.