An internationally renowned smoked seafood business on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore will be closing its doors next month after almost 60 years in business.

J. Willy Krauch and Sons, in Tangier, will cease production on April 24 and will remain open until all its supply is sold, which will likely be sometime in early May.

Willy Krauch died 22 years ago and his children continued the business.

Max Krauch, Willy's son, is the company president. He's turning 62 this year and is ready to retire.

"It's very physical work," said Krauch, who starts work at 3 a.m. and finishes 12 hours later, five days a week.

"Everything is done by hand, from chopping wood to slicing salmon."

The company has seven full-time employees and one part-timer.

The business produces hot and cold smoked seafood based on traditional Danish and European curing and smoking methods. Its smoked seafood includes eel, trout, mackerel, herring and salmon.

The walls of the small shop are covered with a sampling of the letters and stories that have been written about the company over the decades.

The smoked seafood includes eel, trout, mackerel, herring and salmon. (CBC)

There is a 1981 letter from the Prince and Princess of Wales, thanking Krauch for their wedding gift of "splendid and quite delicious smoked salmon."

It was a New York Times article in 1967 that started their mail order business across Canada and the United States. One article quoted an American as saying, "It is the best smoked salmon in the world."

The business was even the subject of a Sesame Street segment.

J. Willy Krauch and Sons was started by Willy and his wife, Irene, in 1956 — just four years after they immigrated to Canada from Denmark. They brought almost nothing other than their three children and some clothing. They went on to have 10 children.

Irene had never heard English before and Willy barely spoke it.

Irene Krauch, 90, said she is sad to see the business close. However, she is proud of what they built.