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.

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.

Application forms are now available for exhibitors to attend the DEFA Manx Produce marquee at Southern Agricultural Show on the 27 and 28 July 2019 on line and at the Royal Manx Agricultural Show on the 9 and 10 August 2019 on line and can be downloaded at the downloadable documents.

Marketing Course for local food and drink businesses

The Department is pleased to announce yet another series of its popular Marketing workshops for food and drink businesses. These workshops will provide a convenient and fun way to learn something new, develop your knowledge of marketing and meet like-minded people… all in a few concentrated sessions!

They will be delivered by Heather Blackley, a marketing specialist who has 25 years’ experience working with businesses on and off the Isle of Man, including the food and drink industry. This will be the 12th year of running these workshops due to its popularity and value among the industry.  They will be held at DEFA in St Johns commencing at 7pm to 9pm.

7th March 2019 – Introduction to Marketing

• What is Marketing  
• How to relate marketing to your business
• How to plan your marketing activities

14^th March 2019 – Planning your Marketing

• Understanding your market and customers
• Planning to meet your business needs
• Prioritising your marketing

21st March 2019 – Managing your Marketing communication

• Tailoring your message to your customers
• Planning your communications media
• Making the most of your communication budget

28th March 2019 – Market Research

• Understanding what’s going on in your market
• Techniques for gathering information about your customers
• Methods for keeping on top of customer feedback

DEFA will contribute 50% towards each session bringing the cost down to £30 per workshop. You can complete the application form on line: www.gov.im/marketingcourse

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 at the Southern Agricultural Show on the last Saturday and Sunday in July and 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.