A world away – right on our doorstep
The Isle of Wight
Time spent on the Isle of Wight proves you don’t have to travel far to feel a world away.
With its bright golden beaches and hidden coves, rolling downland, and clifftop paths fringed with coconut-scented gorse, this star of the Solent marches to a slower beat than the mainland.
And for foodies keen to discover culinary treasures and farm-to-fork freshness, the Isle of Wight’s exceptional local larder is packed with sensational flavours that tell the story of the island’s rich agricultural and maritime heritage.
The stunning video on this feature tells the Mermaid Gin story, intrinsically linked with it’s home on the Isle of Wight.
She thinks of nothing but the Isle of Wight and she calls it the Island, as if there were no other island in the world.
Jane Austen
The island’s unique microclimate and fertile soil create the perfect conditions for producing some of the finest ingredients in the UK.
The island’s garlic is so famous, it has a cult following and its own festival!
The Garlic Farm celebrates its pungent product with workshops, tractor-trailer tours, and a range of garlic-infused products from garlic mayonnaise to chutneys, black garlic beer and even garlic ice cream.
The Garlic Farm also owns Wild Island, which creates delicious dressings and fruit-infused vinegars like blackberry balsamic that will lift a salad to dizzying new heights!


The Isle of Wight’s famous tomatoes, grown in the rich, fertile soil of the Arreton Valley, are specially selected for their unique flavour by the specialists at Isle of Wight Tomatoes, and used to make delicious juices, zingy sauces and condiments.
A E Brown Farms, established since 1948, sits in the heart of the Arreton Valley. Their produce – brassicas, asparagus, new potatoes, squash celeriac and fennel, makes its way to wholesalers, farmers and greengrocers across the Isle of Wight and Hampshire.
Then there’s The Guernsey herd at Briddlesford Farm, descendants of the farm’s first 15 cows to walk the hills over the farm in 1923. They produce rich, velvety milk and cream that is processed and bottled on site and used to make outstanding cheese.
Only Isle of Wight cream goes into Minghella Ice Cream, which has been making award-winning Italian ice cream on the island for over 70 years. Recipes designed by Eddie Minghella when the company started in the 1950s are still used today.
Similarly, only island milk is used by the Isle of Wight Ice Cream Company for its gelato-style dairy ice cream.
Entrepreneurial sisters Louise Hart and Jenny Simmons at Calbourne Classics also create award-winning clotted cream ice creams and a delicious ‘free-from’ range at Three Gates Farm, near the sea.


The flavours of the Island also come bottled – Mermaid Gin, from the Isle of Wight Distillery, has a pink version with a hint of aromatic island strawberries that is particularly sippable on a summer’s evening.
Barnacle Brothers creates its coastal rum using botanicals hand-foraged by co-founder Dylan, who picks only the best rock samphire and gorse flowers from the rugged Island coastline.
Wight Whisky is shaking up the world of English whisky as a brand new, independent distillery based on the Isle of Wight and encapsulating its unique terroir which forms the individual flavour profile of their spirits.
New Hampshire Fare member, Harvey Browns is a gem to visit – it has a farm, food hall, butchery, kitchen and lakeside walks.
This fourth-generation farm sits in the Arreton Valley with some of the region’s finest soil and the UK’s sunniest climate. Their signature crop is Isle of Wight Asparagus, but they also grow strawberries, potatoes, squash, brassicas, sweetcorn and grains.
The Food Hall includes a fantastic deli counter with charcuterie, freshly prepared salad dishes, olives, artisan cheeses and a range of freshly-made pies, pasties, quiches and scotch eggs. They have sourdoughs and focaccia from local bakers as well as award-winning local condiments, pickles, mustards, sauces, jams and chutneys, alongside fresh and dried herbs, pastas and pulses.
Their lakeside kitchen is open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch and they offer the Great British Sunday Roast through the colder months of the year.




For something a little quirky, pick up a gently leaning bottle from Tipsy Wight. Described as the countryside in a bottle, these feature natural ingredients like elderflower and damsons, grown on the farm near Cowes and steeped in vodka.
Any island food tour should include a stop-off at Caffe Isola in a restored iconic building in the centre of Newport for a cup of Wight Label tea or Island Roasted artisan coffee. The café, Wight Label and Island Roasted are all family-owned and run, with the roastery sitting on the banks of the River Medina.


If you’re looking for somewhere to stay, try The Hambrough with its stunning views over Ventnor Bay.
They have light, bright comfortable five AA Gold Star boutique bedrooms, all with views. There’s also a cocktail bar with sea views and a two AA Rosette fine dining restaurant which is also recognised in the Michelin Guide,
Book direct with The Hambrough for discounted ferry tickets too and use this boutique hotel and restaurant as your base for some stunning food and drink discoveries.



It’s safe to say that the Island is a million miles away from the ‘kiss me quick’ and penny arcade image of yesteryear. So if it’s a while since you’ve visited and you’re a foodie fan, plan a visit today – you won’t be disappointed!
This is a small island with a big difference!