Manx food and produce

The Isle of Man may be small but it produces a wide range of great tasting food and drink. Its farms are family run, with excellent traceability of produce from farm to fork. Its clear, clean waters are mainly fished for King and Queen Scallops, crabs and lobsters plus langoustines. The Manx kipper industry dates back to the 1830s and kippers are still produced without the use of artificial dyes. A single Creamery produces milk, cream, buttermilk and award winning cheeses whilst locally produced pork, lamb and beef are widely available. A collection of delicious Manx meat recipes can be downloaded from this page. Laxey Glen Flour Mills produces a variety of flours, used extensively in Ramsey Bakery bread. Manx ales are still brewed in accordance with the 1874 Manx Beer Purity Law and are very popular with real ale enthusiasts.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture is calling on exhibitors to apply for stands at the Manx Produce marquee at the Southern Agricultural Show (SDAS) on the 29 and 30 July at Great Meadow, Castletown and the Royal Manx Agricultural Show (RMAS) on the 11 and 12 August at Knockaloe.

Producers can download the online application form (SDAS) / application form (RMAS) or download at downloadable documents. The deadline is 28 April 2017.

On line survey

The growing desire to support local agricultural, food/drink and other businesses is something that is valued and supported by DEFA’s Food Matters Strategy here on the Isle of Man. Shows such as the Royal Manx Agricultural Show and the Southern District Agricultural Show as well as the Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival are important contributors to our economic development, and we are particularly keen to ensure continuous improvement to these shows where sponsors and exhibitors are concerned. To help ensure we understand the needs of potential or previous sponsors and exhibitors, we would be very grateful if you could spare 5 minutes to comlete and online at Survey Monkey IOM Shows.

We thank you in advance for your comments and will look forward to seeing you at the shows as a visitor, exhibitor or sponsor!

Isle of Man Chef of the Year competition. If you are passionate about your profession as a chef and committed to using locally produced ingredients, then here is a chance to promote your skills and the establishment where you work. The Isle of Man Chef of the Year competition application form and information sheet can now be downloaded on the right of this page.

For a more in depth view of the Isle of Man's food and drink history, please download this report from this page which examines local produce and its role in Manx culture from 1800 to the 1930s.

Full details of the Isle of Man's delicious food and drink can be found in the Guide to Isle of Man Food & Drink – download your copy from this page or collect one from the Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal in Douglas. Restaurants which make a special point of using local produce are recognised by the Harvest accreditation scheme – find full details in the Taste Isle of Man Directory.

To meet local producers and find out more about their produce, you could go to a Market run by the Isle of Man Famers' Market Group: www.iomfm.co.uk for more information. The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture hosts a Manx Food Producers Marquee at the Royal Manx Agricultural Show on the first Friday and Saturday in August and also holds the Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival in September. CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, holds an annual beer festival in April featuring local cider and beer: www.iombeerfestival.com for more information.

DEFA has recently published Food Matters: a development strategy to grow the economic contribution of Isle of Man Food and Drink from 2015 to 2025. You can download a summary or full document by clicking on these links.