Wight Taste Trail The pick of the crop on an food trail

A Wightlink guide to the Island’s natural produce

Local food that’s miles better

his decade has seen a great resurgence of interest That’s why Wightlink has plotted a course through 1. Farmers’ Market, T– and pride – in Great British food. Chefs, food some of ’s most scenic countryside to 2. Rosemary Vineyard experts, even supermarkets are queuing up to tell create the Wight Taste Trail, featuring the pick of us that there’s much to savour in home-grown food the Island’s producers. Among them is a new wave 3. Sharon Orchard – not least because you’ll taste the full flavour in of local food heroes like Richard Hodgson, who 4. Captain Stan’s Fish Store products that have travelled fewer food miles. scooped ‘Best English Cheese’ at the World Cheese 5. Isle of Wight Garlic Eating local fare may mean that you can’t have all Awards in 2007 for his Isle of Wight Blue, and Ben 6. Farmer Jack’s Farm Shop of the food you like all of the time, but there is much Brown, whose salad leaves are sought after by the to be said for the great seasonal tastes of farm-fresh Island’s top chefs. Alongside these new boys are 7. Organics, Godshill asparagus and tomatoes in May, strawberries in long-established farmers like Jill Cawood, whose 8. Godshill Cider Company June, garlic in July and sweetcorn in August and dairy herd is recognised in the RSPCA 9. Brownrigg Poultry September. Freedom Food welfare scheme. Find And what each of these has in common out more in Meet 10. Godshill Cherries is that the crop flourishes on the Ryde the Producers 11. Haven Fishery Fishbourne 1 Isle of Wight, where we profile 12. Gardens which is Yarmouth 15 18 2 11 local 3 13. Water Mill rapidly gaining 17 4 producers 14 16 a reputation 5 with a story 14. Rossiter’s Vineyard 13 12 6 as one of to tell. 15. Calbourne Classics the UK’s There are 16. Market Bakery regional 18 stops on the trail food centres. Aside from 7 including the weekly 17. Farmers’ Market, Newport 8 the rich variety of Wight-grown 9 Farmers’ Markets in 18. Briddlesford Farm Shop tomatoes that find their way into our 10 Newport and Ryde, where shops every summer, there’s a strong farming 11 you can find a diversity of tradition on this Island, whose varied landscape fresh local produce. Whether of chalk cliffs, high downs, river valleys and wetlands you choose to follow the trail supports sheep, beef and poultry as well as arable right around the Island or simply to pop and dairy farming. And that’s before you consider into the local producers closest to your holiday the crab and lobster-rich seas surrounding the Isle base, we hope that you’ll discover the great of Wight. Wight Taste.

Dairy Farmer Jill Cawood with Jaffa, one of the two red and white cows in her 160-strong herd of Holstein Friesians. 1 2 Fresh to the plate Contents ne of the easiest ways to Meet the Producers Otaste local Wight food at Sue Brownrigg, Brownrigg Poultry 4-5 its freshest is to eat out on the Mike Curtis, Captain Stan’s Fish Store 6-7 Island. That’s because there’s a Jeff MacDonald, The Tomato Stall 8 great connection between the Farmers’ Markets, Newport and Ryde 9 Isle of Wight’s food producers Richard Hodgson, Isle of Wight Cheese Company 10 and chefs working in its top Mary Case, Beekeeper 11 restaurants, pubs and cafés. Colin Boswell, Isle of Wight Garlic 12-13 They’ve been quick to recognise Jill Cawood, Calbourne Classics 14 the new wave of producers Stuart Pierce, Godshill Cherries 15 whose energy and bright ideas Ben Brown, Farmer Jack’s Farm Shop 16 are transforming the Island food Sharon McNally, Sharon Orchard 17 scene – and are helping to put the Michael Poland, Fold at Wroxall Cross Farm 21 Isle of Wight on the gastronomic map by creating menus with food On the Trail Godshill Cider Company 5 that comes direct from nearby Godshill Organics 5 farms or from the sea. Ventnor Haven Fishery 7 The Wight Taste Trail signposts Briddlesford Farm Shop 9 you to the Island restaurants with Market Bakery 9 the strongest commitment to Rosemary Vineyard 17 using local produce. These range Afton Park Gardens 18 from the fine dining restaurant Calbourne Water Mill 18 at Ventnor’s boutique hotel, Rossiters Vineyard 18 The Hambrough, to an Island Island beer: Goddards and Yates 18 institution, Saltys Restaurant, which serves seafood including Restaurants with a Taste of Wight scallops, crab, lobster and sea Robert Thompson at The Hambrough 20-21 bass direct from boats that Charlie Bartlett at the Garlic Farm Café/Restaurant 22 anchor in Yarmouth Harbour. Graham Walker at The Seaview 22 Mark Young at The St Helens 22-23 Mark Young, chef/proprietor of Cooking up local fare: Isle of Wight restaurants 23 The St Helens, meets up with grower Ben Brown to barbeque sweetcorn for a Crossing group of friends in his fields. Getting to the Isle of Wight 24 3 Meet the producers Meet the The Island Free Ranger

isit Sue Brownrigg’s idyllic farm job she juggled with bringing up two know the source, where it came from Vnear Godshill and you’ll see boys and supporting husband Paul’s and how it was produced. We really hundreds of hens hurrying around sheep farming. need to remember the connection in a grassy field carpeted with wild “We started in 2000 on 400 acres between the food we eat and the flowers, quite evidently making the here at Sheepwash and at , countryside we so value. Without most of their right to roam. In the near Calbourne, and now have over the livestock, there won’t be any background are grazing sheep and 5,000 hens – as well as a large and countryside – and that’s unthinkable.” Brownrigg Poultry a fantastic pastoral landscape. It’s a unruly flock of very independently As a member of the Isle of Sheepwash Farm, lovely rural sight and one very close minded ducks. They’re all free-range Wight Farmers Market committee, Sheepwash Lane, Godshill. to the heart of the Island’s free and that’s the way I like it. From the Brownrigg is delighted to sense a 01983 840978 ranger, Sue Brownrigg. customer’s point of view the poultry growing concern among customers brownriggonline.co.uk Island born, Sue Brownrigg started tastes so much better but, more and a desire to get back to simple Map reference: 9 her free range poultry business to the point, the birds lead a happy, basics. “I’m really proud to be part of Fresh free range almost a decade ago at Sheepwash healthy life,” says Brownrigg. what’s seen as a ‘new wave’ in which chickens and Farm, just outside the picture Her quest is to get people to the mantra is ‘fresh is best’. Why fly ducks plus postcard village of Godshill. Before connect with the food they eat. “It food half way around the globe when seasonal geese that she had built up a flourishing doesn’t matter whether its fruit, you can support the local community and turkeys – is available trade supplying Christmas turkeys vegetables, meat or any other and buy produce that’s fresh and direct from the farm, as well as eggs. to local hotels and restaurants – a produce, it’s important that people naturally grown?” Take the Whitwell Road from Godshill and, after 1½ miles, turn left into Sheepwash Lane to find the farm directly ahead. Open: Year round. Wednesday- Saturday, 10am-4pm. Call or email [email protected] in advance or to pre-order. Available at: Farmers’ Markets in Newport and Ryde or at Farmer Jack’s, Arreton; Afton Park Gardens, Afton and Briddlesford Lodge Farm Shop, Wootton and farm shops across the Island. 4 On the trail… Godshill Cider Company The Cider Barn, High Street, Godshill 01983 840680 godshillcider.co.uk Map reference: 8 Home-produced ciders plus ginger beer and Island wines, local mustards, chutneys, pickles and preserves are available in a folksy barn in Godshill. Small sister shop in . Open: Winter: 10am-5pm daily. Summer: 10am-6pm daily. Located opposite bus stop.

Godshill Organics Newport Road, Godshill 01983 840723 godshillorganics.co.uk Map reference: 7 Voted the south-east’s ‘Best new farm shop’ by the National Farmers’ Retail and Markets Association, this award winning shop offers one of Hampshire’s largest organic ranges and specialises in vegetables and salad produce. Organic groceries, meat, drinks, preserves and dried foods also available. Open: Monday to Saturday, 9am-6pm, Sunday, 9am-5pm. Located opposite bus stop. Available at: the Farmers’ Market, Newport. 5 Meet the producers Meet the Captain Stan’s Fish Store

5 High Street 01983 875572 Map reference: 4

The wide range of fresh fish and shellfish available at Captain Stan’s Fish Store includes wild bass, bream, red mullet, brill, turbot, Dover sole, plaice and John Dory as well as crab and lobster. Local prawns and mackerel are both on offer during summer months. Also: prepared fish products including fish cakes, crab pasties, crab cakes and monkfish Thai curry. Open: Year round. Tuesday-Saturday: 9am-4.30pm. Taste Captain Stan’s daily catch at: The St Helens, The Pilot Boat Inn and The Seaview.

6 A passion for fishing On the trail… he Isle of Wight’s leading chefs have a fish shop, where they sold fresh Ventnor Haven Fishery Tbeen enthusiastic in giving their full fish three days a week, year round. Esplanade, Ventnor support to a new fisherman on the But, such was their success that the 01983 852176 block. Mike Curtis fishes the waters couple outgrew the old dredger and Map reference: 11 around Bembridge Harbour and in have now moved into new premises The Blake family have been fishing doing so is indulging a life long passion in the heart of Bembridge village. in Ventnor for generations and crab for fishing – as well as furthering his A link with the past remains, fisherman Geoff Blake has been aim to bring the freshest of fish to the however, as the shop is called at the forefront of the new crab British dinner table. Captain Stan’s Fish Store and the fishery and safe haven built for local It’s a long way from life as a vast majority of fish sold there is fisherman at the eastern end of business executive in London and caught by Curtis from his fishing the Esplanade. He and wife Cheryl more recently as the proprietor of boat, Shooting Star, or by local are running the new fishery shop a north Cornwall guest house with fishermen. This may limit the where a range of fresh fish, whole wife Ruth. Together they made the quantity but “it guarantees the crabs, crab-meat and lobsters are decision to jump ship and start a quality because I know exactly where available, depending on the daily new life on the Isle of Wight which it comes from.” their lifetime. As a result they have catch. they say is “destined to be the new Despite their success now, Mike developed muscle that makes their Open: Year round. 11am-4pm, Cornwall – great value and much and Ruth acknowledge that it has texture and taste totally different to seven days a week. Find the fishery more accessible.” not been plain sailing all the way. the rather sad farm fish that can at at the eastern end of Ventnor beach. “It was sheer madness but never Their first winter was tough. “We best swim a few miles.” for a moment something that we’ve had loads of fish but few customers. regretted,” says Mike Curtis. “I had However word of mouth helped always fished as a hobby and, when get us established and now we have a friend invited us to come and have a band of loyal regulars. If there’s a a look at a fishing boat on the Island, quest now, it’s to expand awareness we both sensed that this was where and get more people to recognise our future lay. So we sold the guest the world of difference between house, moved to Bembridge and fresh fish, caught just hours before found The Captain Stan.” it’s cooked, and not so fresh fish, An old US clam dredger boat from especially the farmed variety” says the seventies, the Captain Stan had Curtis. By way of example he a varied and ‘colourful’ past. Moored cites the case of wild bass. “The in Bembridge Harbour, it was bass that I catch are likely to have converted by Mike and Ruth into swum thousands of miles during 7 Isle of Wight producers at the Farmers’ Market Farmers’ the at of Wight producers Isle Straight from the vine eff MacDonald must be unique in says Jeff MacDonald, who joined Jbeing the only producer whose Wight Salads to lead the farmers’ raw materials – super-sweet market thrust. Now Wight Salads, tomatoes – come straight from the UK ‘Organic Grower of the Year vine into a state-of-the art processing 2009’, is Europe’s biggest organic plant where they are converted tomato grower as well as being the into pungently-flavoured sauces and UK’s largest producer of organic and juices or sliced, smoked and soaked conventional tomatoes. in oil without ever seeing a whiff of As Wight Salads has grown, so preservatives or additives. has The Tomato Stall, which, says But The Tomato Stall is not a MacDonald “is lucky to have the pick manufacturing base in the accepted of the crop. Experience has taught sense. Rather it is a cottage industry us that good flavour, purity and where MacDonald and his team create traceability is absolutely crucial – and sauces, juices and their signature we have all three.” oak-roasted tomatoes in small batches Available at: Newport Farmers’ from Wight Salads’ tomatoes grown in Market, Farmer Jack’s, Briddlesford the fertile Arreton Valley. Lodge Farm, Green Stores The fact that The Tomato Stall and used in top Island restaurants is attracting growing numbers of including The George. Also at various devotees can be traced back to 2001 farmers’ markets across the south- when Wight Salads decided to start east including Hampshire Farmers’ selling their tomatoes direct to the Market and London’s Borough Market. public at farmers’ markets. They thetomatostall.co.uk were one of the first producers to take this route, not just on the Isle of Wight but at markets across the south-east and in London, where MacDonald took his “red, plump and juicy tomatoes” to Borough Market. “We started by taking ten tomato varieties to market in the crates they were picked in but, after getting a great reception, we started to think about diversifying – and that’s how The Tomato Stall was born,” 8 Wight tomatoes at Wight Farmers’ Markets On the trail… Fifteen Briddlesford Lodge Farm The Tomato Stall’s relationship Briddlesford Road, Wootton with the top London restaurant 01983 884650 Fifteen dates back five years briddlesfordlodgefarm.co.uk to a time when its’ founder Map Reference: 18 Jamie Oliver first tasted Wight A wide variety of local produce is sold tomatoes at London’s Borough at their farm shop by the Griffin family Market. Since then seasonal who have farmed the land since 1923. tomatoes have been supplied This includes creamy unpasteurised direct to Fifteen, which runs a milk from their own award winning pioneering apprenticeship scheme pedigree Guernsey herd as well as for young people alongside its cream and butter. Top local producers professional restaurant. More stocked include the Isle of Wight recently Tomato Stall Pure Cheese Company, Island Fresh Lamb, Tomato Juice has been used in armers’ Markets take place every Another regular is Sharon Calbourne Classics and Isle of Wight Fifteen’s signature Bloody Mary. Fweek of the year on the Isle of Orchard’s Sharon McNally, Garlic. New: on site café. The relationship does not Wight, providing a direct link between chairman of the Farmers’ Market, Open: Year round. Monday-Saturday: stop there. Every July the Fifteen producers and the public. The original who champions the cause of 10am-6pm, Sunday: 10am-4pm. Left Foundation’s graduating class visit one started in Newport in 2001 and, local food. “Every week there hand side of Briddlesford Road driving the Isle of Wight as part of their every Friday, this is the place to find are around 20 producers at the north towards Wootton. training programme and find out the freshest of Island produce. Newport market, all selling fresh, more about the tomato growing This ranges from the organic often seasonal, food. It’s a great Market Bakery process. vegetables produced by Godshill opportunity for people who care Scarrots Lane, Newport Organics and Wight Salads’ amazing about the food they eat to find 01983 521187 crop of tomatoes to the free out how and where it is grown Map reference: 16 range pork reared by Isle of Wight or produced. In these days where This is the Island’s only traditional bakery Bacon, Sue Brownrigg’s free range much of the food that’s widely – and one of the few in the south-east. poultry, and beef from Chinashop available may have been flown half Pies – sweet and savoury, cakes and Newport Farmers’ Rare Breeds. Other regulars include way around the globe, it shows that bread are baked fresh on the premises Market: beekeeper Mary Case who sells her customers can easily reduce their daily, using Isle of Wight Stoneground St Thomas’ Square. honey and beeswax products and food miles by buying local.” Flour, milled by Matt Bowman, and as Friday, 9am-2pm mother and son team Richard and The scheme has been such a many local ingredients as possible. Ryde Farmers’ Market: Ryde Town Julie Hodgson, who run the Island’s success that a second weekly Open: Year round. Monday- Square. Saturday 8.30am-12.30pm first cheese company (see overleaf market now operates from Ryde Saturday: 7.30am-5pm. Nearest bus for profiles of both these producers). every Saturday stop: Newport Bus Station. 9 A Big Cheese Market Farmers’ the at of Wight producers Isle

he Isle of Wight is known for Tmany things but not, until recently, for cheese. That all changed when Isle of Wight Blue, created by Richard Hodgson’s Isle of Wight Cheese Company, carried off the ‘Best English Cheese’ award at the 2007 World Cheese Awards. This achievement is all the more remarkable because Isle of Wight proud of the “food feet rather than Blue, a creamy and distinctively food miles” involved in their cheese different blue cheese, was brand production. “The cows are milked new, created less than a year before, at 6am and their milk is pumped by 29-year old Richard, a former from the dairy into our vat, so we television editor, and his mother can start making cheese almost Julie Hodgson, partners in the Isle immediately.” of Wight Cheese Company. The work involved in creating Mother and son were both 1,000 Isle of Wight Blue and Isle cheese enthusiasts and when Julie of Wight Soft cheeses (midway sold her long-established West between camembert and brie) is a Wight hotel business, they took seven days a week labour of love for an intensive cheese-making course. the Hodgsons. Not content with After graduating they renovated two cheeses, Richard developed an old barn and cowshed and set a third – Gallybagger, “based on a up a state of the art production cheddar recipe but with a bit more facility, adjacent to Michael Reed’s moisture inside.” Queensbower Dairy. Available at: Newport and Ryde Reed’s Guernsey herd has been Farmers’ Markets, farm shops and a crucial factor in their success, delicatessens and at top hotels and “because Michael can give us restaurants including The Seaview, unpasteurised milk, which holds The Hambrough, The George, Priory extra levels of flavour, and because Bay, The St Helens, and The Cask and we wanted simple traceability,” says Taverners in Godshill. Richard. The Hodgsons are rightly isleofwightcheese.co.uk 10 The Island’s Queen Bee

ary Case has been fascinated the Newport Farmers’ Market Mby bees ever since she went alongside her beeswax candles, on a beekeeping course at Sparsholt furniture polish and homemade College over 20 years ago. “My soap. During the autumn these are hobby became my passion,” she joined by 20 different varieties of says, “although it must be in the apples, grown in the orchard at 11th blood. I’m the fourth generation century Farm, the Case in my family to keep bees – but I family home since 1962. never intended to make beekeeping Mary is also Secretary of the a career until a lady knocked at the Island Association of Beekeepers door and asked if I could sell her and carried off their Honey Show a pot of honey. Even then I didn’t Cup for three years running in 2005, expect it to take off.” But it did. 2006 and 2007, a testament to the Beekeeping is now an important quality of her honey. diversification for Mary and “I look on my bees as livestock, her sheep and cereal farming to be nurtured in exactly the husband Geoff, helping to keep same way as sheep and cows. You alive a traditional family farm at can’t just leave them to their own Limerstone. She keeps over 80 devices,” she says. “Depending hives, spread around the West on the location of the hives, the Wight, and all the honey and season and the different flowers honeycomb produced is sold at from which the bees have collected nectar, the taste of the honey will be completely different. It’s that variety that excites me.”

●●During the Walking Festival each May, Mary Case organises a talk, tea and tasting at Limerstone Farm, incorporating a walk around Limerstone and . Check details at isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk

11 Meet the producers Meet the The Garlic Man Isle of Wight Garlic The Garlic Farm, Newchurch orat may be Kazakhstan’s best But this is not just for the sheer 01983 865378 Bknown export but this now fun of it. “I’m looking for powerful thegarlicfarm.co.uk infamous republic in Central Asia is flavours that we can introduce to Map reference: 5 hiding another light under a bushel. the Garlic Farm. We are always In the Garlic “It’s thought to be the original home trying new types of garlic – from Farm’s shop, of garlic,” says Isle of Wight garlic places like the USA, France, Baku you’ll find 12 farmer Colin Boswell. and the Caucasus.” different local garlics, He should know. Widely-known The ‘we’ is the Boswell family, depending on the time of year. These himself as the UK’s leading garlic which includes wife Jenny and, to include the giant elephant garlic and specialist, having farmed the crop a greater or lesser extent, all five smoked garlic – as well as pickles, for over 30 years on 300 acres Boswell children. “Boswells have chutneys and relish, tapenade, oak around Newchurch, Colin Boswell been growing garlic since the hot, Colin Boswell with Alan Titchmarsh at the smoked garlic butter, smoked garlic has devoted himself to finding out dry summer of 1976 when my opening of the Garlic Farm Café/Restaurant. honey and garlic bread made from everything there is to know about mother grew some beautiful white locally milled flour. Also available: garlic. garlic in her kitchen garden. We A Festival of Garlic seasonal vegetables, including the And these days this ‘food hero’, decided then that if garlic could If garlic is the Isle of Wight’s Garlic Farm’s own asparagus, some of an accolade given by TV chef flourish in those difficult conditions, most unexpected crop, the the earliest in the UK. Rick Stein, spends time travelling it would be a great crop for us.” annual Garlic Festival is its most 2009 has seen the opening of the around Europe pursuing his quest. Solent Wight, developed 30 years unusual event. Held over the third Garlic Farm Café/Restaurant serving In Kazakhstan Boswell “travelled ago and a long-lasting hard garlic weekend of August each year, the innovative dishes, created from local on horseback around the most with a strong flavour and bouquet, festival enables visitors to try ingredients (see page 22). beautiful countryside in the remains the Boswell favourite – and garlic neat, garlic smoked, garlic Shop open: Year round. company of two of Europe’s top is used to create The Garlic Farm’s prawns, even garlic ice cream and Monday-Saturday, 9am-5pm; botanists – and found the ‘mother’ potent smoked garlic. Another garlic beer. Sunday: 10am-4pm. of all garlic.” Most recently, the favourite is ‘scapes’, garlic’s flower Many of the local producers Café: 10am-4pm. intrepid garlic man explored head, “great in stir fries or roasted.” featured in The Wight Taste Trail Available at: Farmers’ Market, Turkey’s Munzur Valley, close to The health benefits of garlic are take part so the Garlic Festival Newport and Island shops in the border with Iran, Iraq and another area of interest for Colin presents a great opportunity to season. Follow the signposts from Syria, braving guerrilla fighting Boswell. In addition to educational see what the Island has to offer Newchurch village. to discover another rare garlic – displays in the Garlic Farm shop, this food-wise. In addition there’s live Also at the Garlic Farm: allium tuncelianum – with the help has been the focus for Isle of Wight music, cookery demonstrations Farm walks, linked in with the area’s of “delightful” Kurdish women Garlic’s stand at the Hampton and action displays for a great archaeology. Ask for the specially displaced from their mountain Court Palace Flower Show, winning family day out. illustrated map and fact sheets. homes by terrorists. four consecutive gold medals. 12 13 Calbourne Classics Three Gates Farm, 01983 531204 calbourneclassics.co.uk Map reference: 15 Quality dairy products made from local ingredients include the Island’s only clotted cream, cheesecakes and 14 clotted cream ice cream varieties. Also available: cakes, traybakes, scones, pies and quiches. Cakes can be ordered online. Farm visits: Three Gates Farm is signposted from the A3054 east of Shalfleet. Open: April-September 10am-4pm daily. Phone for winter opening hours. Selected products available at: Farmers’ Market, Newport; Farmer Cream of the Crop Jack’s and at Osborne House, Castle and Robin Hill. Meet the producers Meet the very cow in the herd of “Calbourne Classics was born out of desserts and pies to add to the ice Epedigree Holstein Friesians at necessity. I had no intention of losing cream now on sale to farm visitors. Three Gates Farm has a name and any of my herd so we had to diversify The accolades have rolled in: Jill Cawood knows it. September to keep it intact. That’s when we Calbourne Classics has won a Storm Jaffa is one of only two red started producing ice cream.” series of gold medals in the national and white cows among many black 20 years and 14 ice cream Great Taste Awards. But whilst and whites in the 160-strong dairy flavours later, the business is quality is a priority for Jill Cawood, herd that grazes in pastures close thriving. Supported by two the welfare of her herd remains to Newtown Estuary. daughters, Jill Cawood tends her paramount. “They are part of our This is also a dairy herd that has dairy herd at the Island’s only family and that’s why the Freedom triumphed from diversity. When RSPCA Freedom Food-accredited Food accreditation is so rewarding. It quotas, introduced in 1989, threatened farm, supplying milk to West Wight proves that we care for them well,” Cawood’s heifers, she reacted quickly. residents and producing a range of she says. 14 riving his tractor through eight- “With its mild climate and lack Godshill Cherries Dacres of cherry orchard on a of late frosts, the Isle of Wight is Map reference: 10 hill above picture-perfect Godshill, perfectly placed to be up there as Available in season at: Stuart Pierce looks a man on top of one of the prime fruit producing Farmer Jack’s, Isle of Wight the world. And yet this is a world regions and that’s our ambition,” Fruit roadside cabins in Godshill, that’s relatively new to the Island’s says Stuart Pierce. Sandford and Freshwater. Also at latest fruit grower. Just four years Next on Pierce’s agenda is to Island Co-op Stores and delicatessens; ago it was pigs and not cherries that establish plums and apricots adjacent jams from Sharon Orchard. were foremost on Pierce’s mind. to the cherry orchard at Godshill. “I switched to cultivating cherries after 10 years as a pig farmer and never looked back. There are always going to be challenges – cherries don’t like the wind, and rain is the last thing we need when the fruit is ripening – but we have a great free- draining hill location and the benefit of a perfect climate on the Isle of Wight,” says Stuart Pierce. Cherries picked Stuart, rather than vice versa, in 2006 when Rob Medway, the orchard’s new owner, asked him to look at his cherry trees. It was a challenge he relished and the partnership has now born fruit. The chance to sell their produce direct to the public led Stuart to join forces with farmers Ben Brown and Tommy Bevis to form Isle of Wight Fruit, selling the first strawberries in May, cherries from June until early August and raspberries through to early autumn. What’s more, the fruit will be used by Sharon Orchard for jam, making Isle of Wight Fruit a year round concern. Blossoming business bears fruit 15 Meet the producers Meet the hen Ben Brown returned to Fruits of the farm Wthe Isle of Wight after five Located at Arreton Barns in the years travelling the world, it was Arreton valley, Farmer Jack’s Farm to the Arreton-based family farm, Shop was set up in 2005 by a trio of A.E. Brown, and not to a career vegetable, free range pork and dairy in Maritime business and law, his farmers to sell local produce seven university degree subject. days a week, year round. “I’d worked my way around the Now the sheer range and quality globe by cooking in some fantastic of Wight produce available, which restaurants and from this learnt that includes daily deliveries from a host there is no substitute for top quality of Island farmers, provides the best food,” he says. That’s why 31-year old possible evidence of Farmer Jack’s Ben became one of the driving forces success. The focus is on fresh seasonal behind Farmer Jack’s Farm Shop produce, which, depending on the along with father David Brown, Isle time of year, might include Arreton- of Wight Bacon’s Stuart Pierce, now grown asparagus and sweetcorn, six a cherry grower, and dairy farmer Jill different varieties of tomatoes or Cawood of Calbourne Classics. strawberries, raspberries, cherries and But that’s not the only string blackberries. to his bow. Ben Brown is actively Look out too for free range pork involved on the family farm, and bacon, reared on one of the which specialises in growing five South’s few outdoor pig farms, as well varieties of squashes, together with as fresh lamb, clotted cream from sweetcorn and asparagus. And in Calbourne Classics’ award-winning his ‘spare’ time he is the Island’s dairy herd, local cheese including own ‘Roquette Man’, producing Isle of Wight Blue and free range herbs and eight types of salad leaves Brownrigg poultry and eggs. for top Island restaurants and For self-catering holidaymakers, farm shops – including baby chard, Farmer Jack’s offers a varied fast food mizuna and peppery rocket. menu and hamper service.

Farmer Jack’s Farm Shop Arreton Barns, Arreton Open: Year round, 10am-6pm 01983 527530 daily. Located on the A3056 farmerjacks.co.uk between Newport and Growing green Map Reference: 6 at Arreton Barns. 16 he impressive thing about Sharon That ‘something’ has now TMcNally, owner of Sharon mushroomed into a 4,000 tree Orchard, is her grit determination. orchard with 20 apple varieties. “I Starting in 1996 with no previous needed the range because juices vary experience, she and husband Joe greatly in taste, from the sweetest, bought 10 acres on an old vineyard made from Gala apples, to the drier and set about planting apple trees. flavour of a Bramley.” After buying her first traditional Now gearing up for expansion press, she single-handedly after six ‘mega’ years, Sharon developed a successful apple juice Orchard has opened a bigger shop, business – with some weekend housed in a brand new building, help from businessman Joe. “It’s and invested in state of the art something that we always wanted equipment for pressing apples. The to do,” explains McNally, “to own next step? “A café would be nice, but and work our own land.” all in good time,” says Sharon.

Sharon Orchard Rosemary Vineyard Smallbrook Lane, Smallbrook Lane, , Ryde Ashey, Ryde 01983 564595 01983 811084 Map reference: 3 rosemaryvineyard.co.uk In season there are 10 different Map reference: 2 traditionally pressed apple juices to Wines, liqueurs, fruit juice and ciders taste and buy. In the autumn these are are available at this 30-acre vineyard. joined by fresh apples from some of Guided and unguided vineyard and Sharon Orchard’s 20 varieties. Also: pear winery walks, free wine tasting. Light juice, relishes, chutneys and pickles, 18 lunches and cakes served in Vineleaf mustards, vinegar, apple blossom honeys Coffee Shop. from orchard apiaries and dry and Open: April-September: Monday- sweet ciders. Open: All year Monday- Saturday, 10am-5.30pm; Sunday: Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4pm. 11am-4pm. October-March: Available at: Newport Farmers’ Monday-Saturday 10am-4pm; Market, Farmer Jack’s and on Sunday 11am-4pm. Closed Sunday in Wightlink Ferries. January and February. Both located on Smallbrook Lane eastward from the A3055. The apple of her eye 17 On the trail… the On Afton Park Gardens Calbourne Water Mill Fine Brew & Orchard Newport Road, Calbourne Newport Road, 01983 531227 or such a small Island, the Isle There are seasonal treats too. In Afton, calbournewatermill.co.uk Fof Wight is blessed in having not the autumn Goddards offer Ducks Nr Freshwater Map reference: 13 one but two independent breweries Folly (5.2%), full and round, hopped 01983 755774 10 flours are milled at this 17th – Goddards and Yates – both with Fuggles and Golding, while aftonpark.co.uk century water mill. There are combining the use of traditional hops Yates mark the Christmas season Map reference: 12 milling demonstrations daily, except and top grade malts with up-to-the- with the explosive Yule Be Sorry Beef and lamb from Chinashop Rare Saturdays, at 3pm. Traditional home minute technology. (7.6%), which includes a dash of Breeds the only traditional breeds cooked food and cream teas are You can find their bottled beers port in a rich and full-bodied three- meat marketing-accredited producer available in the licensed café, and you and real ales on draught at pubs and hops brew. on the Isle of Wight, is on sale at the can also buy a range of homemade restaurants the length and breadth farm shop of this working nursery breads, cakes and biscuits. of the Island. Look out for Goddards Goddards Brewery set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Open: Easter-November: splendidly-named Fuggle-Dee-Dum, 01983 611011 Beauty. Also apple juices, vegetables, 10am-5pm daily. (4.8%) as well as Yates Undercliff goddardsbrewery.com preserves, whole foods and fresh Phone for winter opening hours. Experience (4.1%) and Holy Joe apples in season. Afton is located on Nearest bus stop: (4.9%), all three available year round. Yates Brewery the B3399 near the junction of the Sun Inn. Get off to a flying start by tasting 01983 867878 14 A3055 with a bus stop outside the 12 13 Goddards beers on Wightlink Ferries. yates-brewery.co.uk main entrance. Rossiters Open: Year round. 10am-5pm daily Vineyard in season, ring for winter opening. Main Road, Wellow 01983 761616 Apple Tree Café Map reference: 14 Located within the gardens and The only vineyard in West Wight, apple orchard at Afton Park Gardens, Rossiters produces several white Apple Tree Café provides wholesome wines as well as one rosé and red lunches and an evening menu based variety apiece, all sold by the bottle on a wide range of Afton Park’s own or case. Many of its wines have been home grown as well as local Island recognised by the UK Vineyard produce. Association as of Isle of Wight Regional Open: Daily from10am-4pm for Wine status. Self guided tours and free drinks and cakes; Lunch: 12 noon- tasting also available. Located on the 2.30pm; Dinner from 5.30 (last orders B3401 in Wellow. at 8.30pm) Thursday-Saturday only Open: April-October (also Wednesday in July and August). Tuesday-Sunday: 10am-4pm. 18 Restaurants with a Taste of Wight

From farm to fork

f there’s a buzz in the air about the quality of the the home,” says Mark Young, chef/proprietor of Ifood being produced on the Isle of Wight, the The St Helens. same sense of purpose applies to the chefs who That’s why this section of the Wight cook with that produce in Island hotels, Taste Trail spotlights the Isle Liberty’s of Wight restaurants restaurants and cafés. The Seaview Yarmouth’s George Priory Bay Hotel with the strongest The George The St Helens and Ventnor’s Royal Saltys Restaurant commitment hotels have long Sentry Mead to cooking been champions Apple Tree Café with local at Afton Park of quality produce. In local produce but now there’s these establishments a new wave of chefs who are The Taverners Morgans expect to be offered food spearheading the drive to prepare meals Pond Café originating from many of The Hambrough using ingredients that have travelled a few The Royal Hotel the producers featured on food miles rather than several hundred. the trail. For that new generation of Island chefs – like “We use fresh local produce Robert Thompson at The Hambrough, The wherever possible,” says Robert Thompson, Seaview’s Graham Walker and Mark Young of The Chef/Patron at the Michelin-starred Hambrough St Helens – the buzzword is traceability. “People hotel, who rates Sue Brownrigg’s poultry and eggs, are much more interested now to know the origin Ben Brown’s salad leaves and the Highland beef of the food they eat – and that applies just as from Michael Poland’s Wroxall Cross Farm, much when they eat out as when they buy it for among others.

Island dishes created for Eat Wight, Wightlink’s recipe booklet: Top: Crab Brulée created by Mark Young – The St Helens Centre: Wild Garlic Tart created by Colin Boswell and Charlie Bartlett – The Garlic Farm Café Bottom: Seared Beef Fillet Salad created by Robert Thompson – The Hambrough 19 Happiest in the kitchen

n the sleek, oh-so-smart Hambrough overlooking Ventnor Bay, Robert Thompson is quietly making Robert Thompson at The Hambrough Iwaves with his innovative fine dining menu based on local Island ingredients. At the tender age of 23, Hambrough Road, Ventnor Thompson was the youngest ever British chef to be awarded a Michelin star for his cooking at 01983 856333 Winteringham Fields in Lincolnshire. Three years on, he has been awarded another for his work at thehambrough.com The Hambrough – just months after taking over as Chef/Patron at the gourmet restaurant with rooms. Open: Lunch served 12 noon-1.30pm, Robert’s passion for cooking stretches back more than half a lifetime to his early teens when he dinner 7pm-9.30pm followed his older brother into the kitchen at Woodlands Manor near his Bedford home. “I was Closed: Sunday and Monday but clients are taxied happiest in the kitchen then and I still am. I was only doing the washing-up but already at the age of 13, to sister restaurant, The Pond Café. Vegetarian and I lived for the energy and buzz you get in a good kitchen.” special diets catered for, by advance notice. The key, says Thompson, to making that highly-charged atmosphere Staying over: There are seven contemporary productive has been to surround himself with people who share the rooms – six overlooking Ventnor Bay and one same passion and who work as a team – so over the past year that with views of St. Boniface Down. All feature stylish is exactly what he has created at The Hambrough. “I love the Lombok furniture and have a flat screen TV, DVD sense of calm and order that comes from knowing that all our player and Illy Espresso machine. chefs are singing from the same song sheet.” The Hambrough philosophy is that ‘less is more’ and Robert’s Nearby in … trick is to keep things simple, letting clever combinations of top- The Pond Café is The Hambrough’s excellent class ingredients create an explosion of flavours. Most important of sister restaurant, long-established and with a all is the traceability and seasonality of the produce used. relaxed atmosphere. Now it is benefiting from “My lobsters and sea bass come straight from the fisheries in the Thompson influence and the Mediterranean- Ventnor harbour; I get the freshest of vegetables and leaves style menu, created by head chef Andy Beaumont, in season from Ben Brown at Farmer Jack’s and fabulous compliments rather than competes with The early asparagus from Colin Boswell, the world-famous Hambrough. garlic farmer,” he says. And in his spare time he collects rock samphire grass and forages for wild herbs to use in The Pond Café by Robert Thompson his kitchen. Bonchurch Village Road All are within a few miles’ radius of The Hambrough’s 01983 855666 Ventnor base – but Robert is still discovering great pondcafe.com producers on the doorstep. “Recently I met up with Open: Thursday-Monday. Lunch served Michael Poland, who rears award-winning highland 12 noon-2.30pm with light lunch menu option, cattle on his conservation farm at Wroxall, a few dinner 7pm-9.30pm. minutes’ drive from the restaurant, and now I am able to serve his beef. Opposite: Robert Thompson (right), Michael Poland (centre), Barry The taste is quite sensational!” Isaacson (left) with the Mottistone Fold 20 A breed apart

he Isle of Wight may not seem the most likely and meadows of his 950-acre conservation farm as champions – most recently with Ruairidh Tplace to find Highland Cattle, one of Britain’s at Wroxall. 2nd of Mottistone, which was Champion Bull in oldest breeds with their distinctive flowing coats Truth to tell, Poland and his farm manager 2008,” he says, with some pride. and majestic horns. Yet one farmer, Michael Barry Isaacson have been playing the Scots at The 190-head pedigree fold is reared naturally Poland, is rearing a championship-winning fold their own game and winning. “We have twice on a farm dedicated to wildlife and has become a (as herds of Highlanders are known), not in their taken home bred bulls from Wroxall Cross welcome feature of the Island landscape. To find native West Highlands, but on the downland hills Farm’s Mottistone Fold to Oban and come away out more, visit wightconservation.co.uk 21 A Wight Taste of Garlic Man with a mission In another expansion to the growing Garlic Farm Chef Mark Young is a man with a mission – and that empire in Newchurch (see page 12) visitors can mission is to base the imaginative menu created for now get an authentic taste of Wight at its new his village green restaurant, The St Helens, around café/restaurant. Chef Charlie Bartlett conjures up locally sourced food. specialities like Mezze of Hummus with crunchy herb “Not that I use local produce for the sake of it, the marinated garlic cloves, crostinis and chilli olives but, food must be first rate. It’s all about Great British although there are some interesting takes on garlic- ingredients,” says Mark Young. No wonder then inspired cuisine – including roast giant elephant garlic, that the brasserie restaurant has just picked up its the humble bulb does not dominate. Expect to find second AA rosette. some of the UK’s earliest asparagus in late spring and, Virtually all the meat, fish and seasonal vegetables year round, a medley of game – rabbit, partridge and served at The St Helens are sourced locally, often pheasant – on the ever-changing menu. from producers who have become good friends of the affable chef. Young collects fish from his St Garlic Farm Café/Restaurant Helens neighbour Mike Curtis’ boat and asparagus Newchurch from Ben Brown’s Arreton farm. “It can be on the 01983 867333 plate within a couple of hours and you can’t get thegarlicfarm.co.uk fresher than that,” says Young, an Islander who Open: Daily, 9am-4pm for teas, coffees and cakes; grew up on a farm that doubled as a guesthouse. hot food from 12 noon-3pm. “My mum prepared good, honest food and those are the kind of values that I bring to my kitchen.”

The Seaview But Walker works closely with the cream of Island The St Helens High Street, Seaview 01983 612711 producers too. “By sourcing ingredients from the Lower Green Road, St Helens seaviewhotel.co.uk best Island producers like Captain Stan’s Mike 01983 872303 Chef Graham Walker joined The Seaview, one Curtis and Richard Hodgson of Isle of Wight sthelensrestaurant.com of the Isle of Wight’s best loved hotels, in 2007 Cheese, to complement what we get from our Open: Nightly from 6.30pm (last bookings: 9.30pm). own farmer Adrian Lax at New Close Farm, we after working as sous chef in a quartet of Michelin- Sunday roast: 12.30pm-2.30pm. starred restaurants including Lords of the Manor, can guarantee the quality of meals served in our Children’s menu to 7.30pm only. Upper Slaughter. Now he is bringing his distinctive restaurants,” says the Island-born chef. Vegetarian and special diets catered for. brand of Modern British cooking to the Seaview’s Open: Seven nights a week from 6.30-9.30pm. two restaurants. Lunch served 12 noon-2.30pm, Monday-Friday; 12 Daily menu with Catch of the Day board. With its own farm in Carisbrooke, providing noon-3pm, Saturday-Sunday. Ring for winter opening hours. venison, pork and lamb as well as fruit, vegetables, Children welcome. All diets catered for. garlic and herbs, the Seaview is now 75 per cent Staying over: there are 28 bedroom/suites, each self-sufficient, year round. individually styled. Above left: Charlie Bartlett, Garlic Farm Café/Restaurant. Opposite: Mark Young (left) with producer Ben Brown. 22 Cooking up local fare

At any of these Island restaurants, you’ll find a wide range of local produce on the menu.

The George The Royal Hotel Yarmouth 01983 760331 Ventnor 01983 852186 thegeorge.co.uk royalhoteliow.co.uk Open daily. Breakfast: 8am-10am; Open daily. Lunch: 12.30pm-1.45pm Lunch: 12 noon-3pm; in bar/brasserie; Dinner: 6.45pm- Dinner: 7pm-10pm. 8.45pm in restaurant.

Liberty’s Saltys Restaurant Ryde 01983 811007 Yarmouth 01983 761550 libertyscafebar.co.uk saltysrestaurant.co.uk Open Monday-Saturday throughout Open: May-mid October. Lunch: 12 the day for coffee and snacks; Lunch: noon-3pm, Tuesday-Sunday. Dinner: daily 12 noon-2.30pm; Dinner: 7pm-9.30pm, Tuesday-Saturday. 6.30pm-9.30pm (10.30pm Friday/ Call for winter hours. Saturday). Open Sunday summer only. Sentry Mead Morgans 01983 753212 Shanklin 01983 864900 sentrymead.co.uk morgansofshanklin.co.uk Open Monday-Saturday: Dinner: Open: Lunch:11am-2.30pm, Tuesday- 6.30pm-8pm; Sunday lunch: 12 noon- Sunday; Dinner: daily 6pm-10pm. 1.30pm.

Priory Bay Hotel The Taverners Pub & Eating Seaview 01983 613146 House, Godshill 01983 840707 priorybay.co.uk thetavernersgodshill.co.uk Open daily. Lunch: 12.30-2.15pm; Open daily for lunch: 12 noon-3pm Dinner: 7pm-9.15pm (9.30pm Friday/ (4pm Sunday); Dinner: 6pm-9pm Saturday). (9.30pm Friday/Saturday). Sunday dinner only on Bank Holiday weekends and July/August.

23 Crossing the Solent It couldn’t be easier – with three By Car: Wightlink’s fleet of seven car ferries Ryde Fishbourne Wightlink ferry routes linking provides a regular shuttle service, Yarmouth half-hourly at peak times and with the Isle of Wight to the mainland. more than 200 sailings a day. Journey Vehicle ferries cross the Solent time: approximately 30 minutes from Lymington to Yarmouth and 40 minutes between from Portsmouth Gunwharf to Portsmouth and Fishbourne. Fishbourne in the east of the Island On Foot: Leave the car at home and take the Wightlink and from Lymington to picturesque catamaran service from Portsmouth Harbour to Yarmouth in West Wight. Ryde Pier Head. Numerous trains and buses feed Portsmouth Harbour and the catamarans link with Island Line train between Ryde and Shanklin, as well as with the extensive bus network. Wightlink also runs a fleet of Journey time: approximately 22 minutes. passenger catamarans between Online: Wightlink’s website, wightlink.co.uk, provides up to Portsmouth Harbour and the minute information on ferry times, special Island Ryde Pier Head. events and attractions to visit – and also offers a range of money-saving fares available when booking online. Travel bookings can also be made by calling 0871 376 1000*.

Wightlink themed packs: The Wight History Trail is the latest in a collection of illustrated Wightlink guides providing contrasting ideas for short breaks to suit all interests. Available free (call 0871 376 1000* or download at wightlink.co.uk) others include Footloose for visitors on foot, The Rare Plant Trail, which spotlights 20 of the UK’s most noteworthy plants and Eat Wight, a collection of mouth-watering recipes created by Wight Taste Trail chefs and producers.

24 Getting to the Isle of Wight wightlink.co.uk 0871 376 1000* RED - 100M 63Y 29K BLUE - 100C 68M 12k (from overseas: 00 44 23 9285 5230) GREY - 80K

Research and text © Chris Higham 2009 Designed by Trent Design Photography by Lee Higham Published by Wightlink 2009 © Wightlink Ltd 2009 All information correct at the time of publishing (July 2009). E&OE Wightlink advises readers to call producers for current opening times before visiting. The views expressed in the Wight Taste Trail are those of the author and not necessarily those of Wightlink. Printed on paper from well-managed forests and other controlled sources. *Calls cost 7p per minute from BT landlines, other network charges may vary. Highland Cattle from the Mottistone Fold (page 21).