About Banner Smoked Fish

To understand the beginning of Banner Smoked Fish, you may think that the story begins in February of 1988. But, you'd be wrong. The story of Banner Smoked Fish and the founding of Banner Smoked Fish begins many years before that with a young boy named Avi (Abraham) Attias. Avi was born in Scranton, PA and moved around a few times as a child. At the age of 10 years old his parents decided to move to Israel. Now, naturally as an American boy, living in a different country where you don't speak the language came as a challenge. Avi wanted out, and by the age of 14 he picked himself up and left Israel to come back to New York where he settled in Queens by himself. Later, he started bagging groceries and did some other odd jobs just to make a quick buck and to pay his rent. But, much to his advantage, his father called and told him that unless he learns a trade, or a business, he might as well come back to Israel. With that mindset, and not wanting to go back to Israel he heard about an opportunity to drive a van for a company called Nova Scotia Food Products, a well known smoked fish company with a big presence in the tri-state area. The owner of the company fell in love with Avi and took him in under his wings. For two years he slaved away learning the ins and outs of the company, and when the owner of Nova Scotia sold the company, Avi knew it was his opportunity to go on his own. At the age of 18, he started Banner Smoked Fish with a few dollars, and the rest is history!Read their story