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Isle of Wight Food and Drink Tour – Top 10 2024
The Isle of Wight isn't really known for one particular food or drink (Ed: that is perhaps the worst opening line you have ever written...).
Yes, there is locally produced garlic, seafood, real ales, wine, ice cream and so on...but it's not like Melton Mowbray where 98% of visitors feel obliged to buy a pie as a souvenir for granny.
However, you can do a pretty good food and drink tour of the Isle of Wight through a combination of visiting food producers and eating in independent restaurants and pubs.
The obvious choices are The Garlic Farm, Adgestone Vineyard and Goddards Brewery but there are other options.
Here are my top 10 things to eat and drink on an Isle of Wight food and drink tour.
Yes, there is locally produced garlic, seafood, real ales, wine, ice cream and so on...but it's not like Melton Mowbray where 98% of visitors feel obliged to buy a pie as a souvenir for granny.
However, you can do a pretty good food and drink tour of the Isle of Wight through a combination of visiting food producers and eating in independent restaurants and pubs.
The obvious choices are The Garlic Farm, Adgestone Vineyard and Goddards Brewery but there are other options.
Here are my top 10 things to eat and drink on an Isle of Wight food and drink tour.
1. Isle of Wight Garlic
Reports of vampires on the Isle of Wight are at an all time low, thanks to the presence of wild garlic in villages such as Shorwell. The same can’t be said for UFOs, mermaids and ghosts which are often spotted just after closing time outside the pubs in Cowes high street.
The tradition of growing garlic on the Island is furthered at The Garlic Farm, which is a free day out in Newchurch (in the general direction of Sandown from Newport).
The reason it’s free is that you end up buying eight different variations of garlic from the gift shop including garlic beer, garlic chutney and garlic mayo.
There’s also a café, woodland trails and a small playground. When we visited the Garlic Farm, there was a tractor offering rides round the farm for a few pounds.
It’s very nicely done and pulls in a big crowd, who then have smelly burps for the rest of the week. The Garlic Farm Shop was a winner in the 'Best Shop/Retail' category at the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards in 2022.
There's also a Garlic Festival in the summer which combines garlic with stunt bikes, live music and people selling double glazing.
The tradition of growing garlic on the Island is furthered at The Garlic Farm, which is a free day out in Newchurch (in the general direction of Sandown from Newport).
The reason it’s free is that you end up buying eight different variations of garlic from the gift shop including garlic beer, garlic chutney and garlic mayo.
There’s also a café, woodland trails and a small playground. When we visited the Garlic Farm, there was a tractor offering rides round the farm for a few pounds.
It’s very nicely done and pulls in a big crowd, who then have smelly burps for the rest of the week. The Garlic Farm Shop was a winner in the 'Best Shop/Retail' category at the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards in 2022.
There's also a Garlic Festival in the summer which combines garlic with stunt bikes, live music and people selling double glazing.
Wildflowers at the Garlic Farm
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At peak times, there are trailer rides at the Garlic Farm
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2. Isle of Wight Crab, Lobster and fish
Seafood is perhaps the closest thing the Isle of Wight has to rival Cornwall's pasties or Devon's cream teas. Freshly caught crab and lobster are served up at lots of decent restaurants.
Some to consider include:
There aren't currently any Isle of Wight restaurants with a Michelin star. However, several Isle of Wight restaurants and pubs feature in the Michelin guide - you can see the current list on the Michelin website.
Some to consider include:
- Crab and mackerel pasties are sold at a place in Steephill Cove called The Crab Shed. The beach is a cosy little cove with thatched cottages and deckchairs. You can only access the beach by walking down a steep hill, hence the name. Some guides refer to Steephill Cove as a 'hidden gem', which isn't exactly the case as it features on half a million Instagram feeds. However, it's still very nice.
- The Best Dressed Crab in Bembridge is a floating restaurant in Bembridge Harbour. The fishing boat pulls up alongside the restaurant to deliver its catch, so it is pretty fresh. It also featured on the TV series The Cockfields, which is a favourite of ours.
- The Smoking Lobster on Ventnor Esplanade featured on Best of Britain By The Sea on More 4 in 2022. Grace Dent went wild for the lobster and Ainsley Harriott said things like "Corrrrrrr, that's gorrrrrgeous". There's also a branch of the Smoking Lobster in Cowes.
- The Hut in Colwell specialises in seafood and is popular with insta-darlings and yachties in red trousers and expensive sunglasses.
- Murray's Seafood Restaurant in Cowes is long established and popular.
There aren't currently any Isle of Wight restaurants with a Michelin star. However, several Isle of Wight restaurants and pubs feature in the Michelin guide - you can see the current list on the Michelin website.
The Hut in Colwell is in a sunny spot at Colwell Bay (in the left on this picture)
If you want to catch your own fresh seafood, then you can go on fishing trips from the Isle of Wight. Black Rock Charters is a good place to start and gets excellent reviews. You may not catch anything, but you'll get a great view of The Needles at least.
We often go rockpooling on Bembridge beach or at Freshwater Bay at low tide (the second beach, near to the Albion). They are big enough to elicit squeals but not big enough to eat. You'd need to search under rocks all week to make a crab sandwich.
Head for Yarmouth if you prefer the form of crabbing where you drop a line whilst leaning over a harbour.
We often go rockpooling on Bembridge beach or at Freshwater Bay at low tide (the second beach, near to the Albion). They are big enough to elicit squeals but not big enough to eat. You'd need to search under rocks all week to make a crab sandwich.
Head for Yarmouth if you prefer the form of crabbing where you drop a line whilst leaning over a harbour.
We fed the family for a week after searching the rockpools of Freshwater Bay
3. Isle of Wight Beer
I'm aware of five breweries on the Isle of Wight. There might be more that I've missed.
The biggest one is Goddards. It moved in 2023 to a whizz-bang new premises in Branstone, which is between Arreton and Sandown.
You can visit the shop for free or pay £12.50 for membership which gets you various things including a souvenir glass and three small drinks. Alternatively, pay £5 for a day pass, which still includes the drinks. They don't exactly do guided tours but you can see the brewery at work and there are information screens.
If you want a more hands-on tour where people talk with great enthusiasm about 'hop aromas' and 'wort bubbles' then I would go for a brewery tour of Wight Knuckle Brewery. It started as a micro brewery based at the Pilot Boat Inn in Bembridge but does tours at its brewery in Brading. You pay about £10 for a tour.
Other breweries include Yates in Newchurch and Island Brewery in Shalfleet. I've seen bottles for sale in Co-op and farm shops. They make excellent gifts for grandads who don't appreciate a box of fudge.
There's also a microbrewery called Boojum and Snark, which has a bar in Sandown.
The biggest one is Goddards. It moved in 2023 to a whizz-bang new premises in Branstone, which is between Arreton and Sandown.
You can visit the shop for free or pay £12.50 for membership which gets you various things including a souvenir glass and three small drinks. Alternatively, pay £5 for a day pass, which still includes the drinks. They don't exactly do guided tours but you can see the brewery at work and there are information screens.
If you want a more hands-on tour where people talk with great enthusiasm about 'hop aromas' and 'wort bubbles' then I would go for a brewery tour of Wight Knuckle Brewery. It started as a micro brewery based at the Pilot Boat Inn in Bembridge but does tours at its brewery in Brading. You pay about £10 for a tour.
Other breweries include Yates in Newchurch and Island Brewery in Shalfleet. I've seen bottles for sale in Co-op and farm shops. They make excellent gifts for grandads who don't appreciate a box of fudge.
There's also a microbrewery called Boojum and Snark, which has a bar in Sandown.
4. Mermaid Gin
The Isle of Wight Distillery has done a terrific job of transforming itself from a niche name into a well-known and successful gin producer. The breakthrough was the release of the blue Mermaid Gin bottle, which is – undeniably – a masterpiece of design.
The bottle is plastic free and stands out on shelves to the extent that it made local news when it was spotted in the background of a James Bond film (Ed: Licence To Spill? Dr No Thanks I'm Driving? From Rookley With Love? GoldenIsleofWight?).
The blue bottle was followed by a reddish-pink one and then a white vodka bottle and a green zesty edition.
You’ll see the Mermaid Gin bottles everywhere on the Island – partly because a lot of cafes and pubs use the empties for tap water.
You can't do a tour of their distillery near Ryde, but you can visit the Mermaid Bar and see the distillery in the background.
The bottle is plastic free and stands out on shelves to the extent that it made local news when it was spotted in the background of a James Bond film (Ed: Licence To Spill? Dr No Thanks I'm Driving? From Rookley With Love? GoldenIsleofWight?).
The blue bottle was followed by a reddish-pink one and then a white vodka bottle and a green zesty edition.
You’ll see the Mermaid Gin bottles everywhere on the Island – partly because a lot of cafes and pubs use the empties for tap water.
You can't do a tour of their distillery near Ryde, but you can visit the Mermaid Bar and see the distillery in the background.
Our collection of Mermaid Gin bottles (note that the two at the back are getting a little low)
5. Isle of Wight wine
The Isle of Wight's wine region is second only to France's, and perhaps that of Spain, Chile, Portugal, Australia, Italy, South Africa, Germany, Argentina, Mexico, and Uzbekistan.
OK, so perhaps the Isle of Wight isn't famous for wine. However, you can visit Adgestone Vineyard for a self-guided tour.
It was on a channel 5 series called Isle of Wight: Jewel of the South in 2023 and on Countryfile a few years ago. The Countryfile piece was one of those features where they trail what’s coming up three times (“Still to come...I’ll be visiting an Isle of Wight vineyard”) and then expect you to be surprised when they tell for a fourth time (“You probably think I’m in the South of France. Well, I’ve got news for you…!”). The 2023 programme made a big thing of their Something Blue drink which looks like an alcoholic Slush Puppie.
The tours cost about £10 and are done with digital headsets, like the ones you get on a tour of the National Gallery. You can also sign up for a tasting lesson. Hiccup.
There's also a place on Ventnor's seafront called The Terrace, which is popular with fans of fine wine. They organise wine tasting sessions from their collection of 800 bottles.
OK, so perhaps the Isle of Wight isn't famous for wine. However, you can visit Adgestone Vineyard for a self-guided tour.
It was on a channel 5 series called Isle of Wight: Jewel of the South in 2023 and on Countryfile a few years ago. The Countryfile piece was one of those features where they trail what’s coming up three times (“Still to come...I’ll be visiting an Isle of Wight vineyard”) and then expect you to be surprised when they tell for a fourth time (“You probably think I’m in the South of France. Well, I’ve got news for you…!”). The 2023 programme made a big thing of their Something Blue drink which looks like an alcoholic Slush Puppie.
The tours cost about £10 and are done with digital headsets, like the ones you get on a tour of the National Gallery. You can also sign up for a tasting lesson. Hiccup.
There's also a place on Ventnor's seafront called The Terrace, which is popular with fans of fine wine. They organise wine tasting sessions from their collection of 800 bottles.
6. Isle of Wight Tomatoes
You can pick up Isle of Wight tomatoes in Sainsbury’s in Dundee, so I wouldn’t visit the Island entirely for this purpose.
They're grown at a big greenhouse in Arreton and you’ll find them on the menu at a lot of classy pubs and restaurants on the Isle of Wight.
They're grown at a big greenhouse in Arreton and you’ll find them on the menu at a lot of classy pubs and restaurants on the Isle of Wight.
7. Isle of Wight ice cream
There are a few ice cream companies competing to give you fillings on the Isle of Wight.
- You may have heard of Minghella’s Ice Cream, which was created by a family from Ryde whose son was the Oscar-winning film director Anthony Minghella. One of the Minghellas was my English teacher at school and used to bring tubs of ice cream into the classroom. You can imagine that this went down very well. You’ll find Minghella's Ice Cream at various ice cream stalls and in some restaurants (see this map).
- The Isle of Wight Ice Cream Company wins an award for the most straightforward name. Their ice cream is also very nice.
- I’m very fond of an ice cream shop in Ventnor called Crave at the Ventnorian. They make their own ice cream and have lots of guest flavours. If you see me stood outside for 40 minutes trying to choose a flavour, please say hello. It is deservedly very popular.
- Calbourne Classics is another ice cream brand you'll see for sale in quite a few locations around the Island.
Tough decisions at Crave Ice Cream in Ventnor
8. Isle of Wight Milkshake and cheese
An entrepreneurial dairy farm on the Isle of Wight has a self-service milkshake machine on the road between Cowes and Newport. You buy a glass bottle (or bring your own) at Crockers Farm Dairy and press a few buttons to get local milk with a guest flavour. I went for black cherry last time I visited.
My children enjoyed it so much that I started avoiding Cowes so that they didn't badger me to stop for a milkshake.
On the dairy theme, the Isle of Wight Cheese Company does some rather nice blue cheese. They don't do tours, but you will see it sold in farm shops and served in some restaurants. They also do an unpasteurised cheddar-style cheese called Gallybagger and a mature edition, which is only available in December.
In case you are interested, a gallybagger is an Isle of Wight nickname for a scarecrow. Why did someone come up with a nickname that is twice as many syllables as the original word? We shall never know.
Another dairy producer on the Isle of Wight is Briddlesford Farm. They make cheeses, clotted cream and do family-friendly tours on some afternoons in the summer. Briddlesford Farm won 'Best Local Produce' at the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards in 2022.
My children enjoyed it so much that I started avoiding Cowes so that they didn't badger me to stop for a milkshake.
On the dairy theme, the Isle of Wight Cheese Company does some rather nice blue cheese. They don't do tours, but you will see it sold in farm shops and served in some restaurants. They also do an unpasteurised cheddar-style cheese called Gallybagger and a mature edition, which is only available in December.
In case you are interested, a gallybagger is an Isle of Wight nickname for a scarecrow. Why did someone come up with a nickname that is twice as many syllables as the original word? We shall never know.
Another dairy producer on the Isle of Wight is Briddlesford Farm. They make cheeses, clotted cream and do family-friendly tours on some afternoons in the summer. Briddlesford Farm won 'Best Local Produce' at the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards in 2022.
Self service milkshake from Crockers Farm Dairy
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The Isle of Wight Cheese Company held a short meeting to choose their name
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9. Isle of Wight doughnuts and Mr Blobby Biscuits
As I mentioned earlier, there was a TV programme in 2022 where Ainsley Harriott and Grace Dent drove around the Isle of Wight eating things. It made me very hungry.
They also spent a night or two at Woodside Coastal Retreat and visited Grace’s Bakery, where they bought an Isle of Wight doughnut. They were told the story that the doughnut was invented on the Isle of Wight, albeit with dried fruit in the middle.
Is it true? Probably not. Will that stop us from trying to sell the story to visitors? Of course not! Tuck in!
Grace's Bakery has half a dozen branches around the Isle of Wight.
Meanwhile, a slice of pink and yellow 1990s nostalgia can be found at Scarrots Lane bakery in Newport. Yes, you too can tuck into a Mr Blobby Biscuit despite the fact that Noel's House Party went off air in 1999. Never let it be said that the Isle of Wight is stuck in the 1950s - we have in fact almost reached the millennium.
They also spent a night or two at Woodside Coastal Retreat and visited Grace’s Bakery, where they bought an Isle of Wight doughnut. They were told the story that the doughnut was invented on the Isle of Wight, albeit with dried fruit in the middle.
Is it true? Probably not. Will that stop us from trying to sell the story to visitors? Of course not! Tuck in!
Grace's Bakery has half a dozen branches around the Isle of Wight.
Meanwhile, a slice of pink and yellow 1990s nostalgia can be found at Scarrots Lane bakery in Newport. Yes, you too can tuck into a Mr Blobby Biscuit despite the fact that Noel's House Party went off air in 1999. Never let it be said that the Isle of Wight is stuck in the 1950s - we have in fact almost reached the millennium.
10. Foraging
When did 'picking stuff' become 'foraging'? And whilst I'm ranting, when did 'old stuff' become 'vintage'? And when did 'swimming outdoors' suddenly turn into trendy 'wild swimming'? (Ed: please stay on topic).
Foraging for food is probably best carried out by those who know what they're doing. Perhaps sign up for a foraging course rather than picking up random green things on the beach and saying "hmm, I wonder if this is edible?".
In case you fancy having a go without a guide, the nearest A&E can be found in Newport.
Foraging for food is probably best carried out by those who know what they're doing. Perhaps sign up for a foraging course rather than picking up random green things on the beach and saying "hmm, I wonder if this is edible?".
In case you fancy having a go without a guide, the nearest A&E can be found in Newport.
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