Red Funnel

Re-invigorate your taste buds...

Rediscover produce fresh from the land and re-invigorate your taste buds with good locally grown food. Spend a day at one of the Isle of Wight's weekly farmers markets in Newport or Ryde and learn about what's in season from the local producers before gathering the freshest ingredients for a delectable dish at home.

Only locally produced food is sold at the farmers' market so look out for Brownrigg Poultry who offer free-range eggs, turkeys, geese, chicken and seasonal game. Dunsbury Lamb have a choice of boxed whole or half lambs & a selection of cuts, Hamilton's Fine Foods' have their home-cured ham and the Isle of Wight Bacon Company offer great free-range bacon, sausages and ham, dry-cured in the traditional way with organic sea salts.

The Island is proud of its landscape and its farming traditions and food fresh from the land is also available from Afton Park Farm Shop, Newport Rd, Freshwater; Briddlesford Farm Shop in Briddlesford Rd, Wootton; Godshill Organic Farm Shop in Godshill; Horringford Gardens Farm Shop, Horringford;  Three Gates Farm Shop in Shalfleet, the Real Island Food Company and Farmer Jacks at Arreton Barns in Arreton.

Say cheese!

Mother and son team Julie and Richard Hodgson started the Isle of Wight Cheese Company in 2006 in a converted cowshed in the beautiful Arreton Valley. The business has been a huge success and they now have 4 varieties: Isle of Wight soft, Nipper's Nammett, Gallybagger and the multi-award winning Isle of Wight Blue - voted best cheese in England!

Vampires beware!

Colin Boswell and his family started growing garlic over 30 years ago in Newchurch. The Garlic Farm has since won numerous awards and John is now one of Europe's leading garlic experts. The increased awareness of whole and natural foods and the UK 'foodie revolution' has helped place the Boswell's garlic farm and the Isle of Wight firmly on the UK 'good food' map.

A rare treat

Michaela Heathcote and her husband Paul describe their farming business as "a hobby that got out of hand". Today, Chinashop has 3 rare cattle breeds which are 'free-range' and remain outside all year on their 300 acre farm. The males are slaughtered at 30 months (rather than the usual 18) and all this helps make the meat simply healthier and more flavoursome.