Last month a fierce fire destroyed millions of dollars worth of stock and equipment at the estate's smokehouse in Hume. The award-winning facility was used to cure salmon, trout, bacon, ham and duck for Pialligo Estate.

After three years the business was building clients throughout eastern Australian and had twice won Australian Pork awards to mark bacon week. They were to begin exporting produce later this year, before the blaze broke out.

Canberra Airport head of property Richard Snow said the temporary arrangement came after a long association with Pialligo Estate.

"It is logical thing to help a neighbour, they are in the greater airport region. it makes sense to help a neighbour."

Mr Snow said a catering contractor had vacated the kitchen about six months ago.

Pialligo Smokehouse owner Rowan Brennan said investigations revealed the fire's cause was most likely electrical, most likely to have started in an office, not the warehouse section

"The only thing unscathed was our smoker. The insurers and firies said the temperature would have been up to 1800 degrees, the smoke would be pretty toxic.

"We had to find out if we could use the smoker again, we got an expert from Melbourne up. He takes a sample and sends it to NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration]. They are the only ones in the world who can actually test and diagnose glass, to see whether we are able to use our smoker."

NASA's all clear was as welcome as airport managing director Stephen Byron and his team's efforts in preparing the kitchen, Mr Brennan said.

Pialligo Estate general manager Charlie Costelloe said after building a small operation into one employing 10 people and earning acclaim, the fire came as a hard blow.

"You watch three years of your life go up in smoke, it is kind of devastating for everyone involved. Our team has been busy getting things ready and planning , so we are ready to go back, full steam ahead," Mr Costelloe said.

"We will be back producing and hopefully have something on the shelves if not this week, then early next week.

"We haven't smoked anything yet. Processing takes two weeks from start to finish, the smoking is the last part, dry curing takes over a week."

Chefs first treat their pork with a mix of salt, sugar, herbs and spices and cure the meat which reduces the water content. Then the smoking begins. Re-opening after the fire has many people salivating.

"We have 20 to 30 IGAs in Canberra, with a similar number of customers and restaurants, then in Sydney we have Harris Farm Markets," Mr Costelloe said.

Pressure to re-start has been tempered by people's understanding. "I have to say all our customers have been really supportive and we will have some big orders to fill as soon as we get going again," Mr Costelloe said.

"We have done a lot of work with the guys at the airport, we are just across the road. When they heard the news they were straight on it and supporting us straight away. It is great," he said.

Mr Costelloe expects to be at Fairbairn for 12 months, while the Hume smokehouse is re-built.