Some dates for the diaries for all you Isle of Man food lovers out there.

Isle of Man Queenie Festival 1 July 2010 – 5 July 2010

The islands first food festival and now in its third year, The Isle of Man Queenie Festival is an annual event held to celebrate one of the Island’s favourite local seafoods , the Queen Scallop, more commonly known on the Isle of Man as the Queenie. Lots of family fun and entertainment, cooking demos, barbecues, recipe competitions and Marine fun.

Southern District Agricultural Show 31 July 2010 – 1 August 2010

An Agricultural Show held at the Great Meadow, Castletown. Lots of livestock, local producers, cookery, stalls, Young Farmers and a great day out for all the family.

Royal Manx Agricultural Show 13 August 2010 – 14 August 2010

The Isle of Man’s showcase farming and producer show.Dog show , Horse show, motor bike display , Craft stalls , Falconry Displays . Lots of livestock, local producers, cookery, stalls, Young Farmers and a great day out for all the family.

Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival Dates to be confirmed

The Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival is a celebration of the very best of Manx produce. The festival normally takes place in September at the Villa Marina gardens. Check out the 2009 Isle of Man Food Festival here.

If and when I find out more I will post them up here.

A new Manx company that makes natural, traditional and local drinks has been launched recently.

The business brains are Will Faulds and Charlotte Traynor and they formed the business in October 2009. The Apple Orphanage ‘takes your apples and their time’ to produce fantastic local drinks and cider. It really is a great concept.

Will has been making cider and wine from home grown fruit for nearly 6 years starting out with apple wine, utilising the surplus apples from The Lynague orchard in the farm. The pair claim to love apples and have experimented with every fruit, flower or bush you could possibly imagine. Currently on sale in the shop is an Elderflower Keshal, which sounds intriguing.

So why not show your support, check out website and sample something new and local or if you have an apple tree and don’t know what to do with the apples you can always join the Cooperative harvest and help play a part in producing local cider. With out a doubt Gourmet Shark will be looking to get his tasting lips around a pint or two of this when another batch is due! Roll on the harvest!

Here is a bit of a list that Gourmet Shark has put together for some food resolutions for 2010!

1. Shop local – If you’re shopping make a special effort to find Manx food. Always check the label and check where the food has come from? Look out for the Manx produce and the I love Manx logo in the supermarkets or head to one of the local farmers markets around the island.

2. Eat seasonal food – Not only does it taste really good, but it’s also much better for you and provides many of the nutrients we need to stay healthy. Download What’s in season (pdf) Coming Soon!

3. Try a local dish – When next in a pub or restuarant, try a local local beer with a local speciality for an authentic experience that reflects the character of the Isle of Man it could be local seafood or Loughton Lamb. Ask the staff what they would recommend.

4. Try something different – Explore what the Isle of Man has to offer, there are loads of producers sprouting up all the time, its not just meat and cheese. What about the Apple Orphanage and their Elderflower Keshal or Cocoa Reds handmade chocolates, not only is it all good stuff, its also a bit of fun!

5. Pick your own – You can’t beat being able to enjoy fresh fruit selected and picked by yourself. There is the farm at the White Bridge just outside Onchan (can’t remember the name) or simply have scrabble in the hedgerows for some blackberries.

6. Cook a Manx meal for friends or at least use Manx produce – Nothing beats Manx Queenies or Pork Chops, there really is so more on offer these days it really is more than just spuds and Herring (although that is pretty tasty!)

7. Get along to a food event - There are the Saturday Farmers Markets, but don’t forget events like the Southern Agricultural Show, The Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival and the Isle of Man Queenie Festival just to name but a few.

8. Why not grow your own - Eating food you have grown yourself – even if it is just a few spuds is very satisfying. Lettuce, herbs and carrots are easy to grow and you do not need much space to do it – I am even going to give it a go but more about that another time!

9. Have a Manx BBQ – Get yourself out and about to many of the local beaches or simply in your back garden. Try some local steaks or marinade some lamb. Not only is BBQ food so tasty its a great way to socialise with neighbours or friends.

10. Celebrate the local harvest – Support one of the many local of Harvest Festivals or Mhelliah’s. They are a celebration, help to raise money for the local community and some are even held in the pub – no excuse!

The main thing is to enjoy the wide variety of local food and produce of the Isle of Man.

Christmas comes to Paddy’s Market, bringing more mouth-watering produce than ever before…

Food lovers from all over the Island regularly flock to Paddy’s Market in Port St Mary for its great variety of delicious, quality produce. Now, the team behind Paddy’s is planning two special Christmas markets, so you can fill your basket with seasonal eats, pick up great new food ideas and support local business as you go.

Paddy’s Christmas Markets will take place on Saturday 19th December from 10am to 2pm, and on Tuesday 22nd December from 5pm to 9pm. There’ll be stalls laden with a huge variety of fare and as you wander around, you’ll be able to savour the smells, tastes and sounds of the season.

On the fruit and vegetable stall, you’ll find a selection of home-grown and specially imported produce, including familiar favourites and more exotic alternatives. From crisp salad leaves and wild rocket to brussels sprouts, cauliflower and carrots, you’ll find all the perfect partners for your Christmas roast. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not try roasting our purple truffle potatoes in goose fat?

Paddy’s will also welcome Radcliffe’s butchers of Castletown to the weekly markets. Butcher, Tony Crook will be selling their range of award-winning sausages, dry cured bacon and other succulent meats, as well as the usual Christmas trimmings.

At the heart of Paddy’s Market the famous fresh fish and seafood, sourced from local and British waters. The smoked salmon, seafood platters and dressed lobster prepared by Pad, Ian, Dave and Terry were all a big hit last year, so make sure to place your order early this time (pre-order forms are now available).

Moving further afield, there will also be a superb selection of cheese and charcuterie from around the world and the friendly, helpful team will be more than happy to put together a cheese board or suggest the ideal anti pasti for your meal.

The main emphasis at Paddy’s remains on showcasing the best of Manx produce and the Christmas Market is a great way to do just that. They will also have organic herbs and preserves from Staarvey Farm, fresh bread and other baked goodies from Liz at The Good Loaf, and hand-made confectionary from Karl at Cocoa Red. They say that Christmas is a time for indulgence – and who are we to argue?

It’s also a time for enjoying traditional treats: that’s why Paddy’s Chef Ian will be busy preparing homemade gravy, brandy butter, rum sauce, chestnut stuffing, mince pies and Christmas puds for your delight.

When you’re surrounded by food this tempting, it can be hard to wait ’til Christmas Day. The good news is, you don’t have to – following the tradition of German yuletide markets, they will be dishing out piping hot soup, hog roast and bratwursts to all who attend. Lastly, to make sure you’re warmed through and through, Martin from Bushy’s will be serving up gluhwein as well as selling his excellent bottled beer.

So, be sure to head down to Paddy’s Market on the Quay (in front of the Yacht Club) in Port St Mary on 19th and 22nd December and share in the festive spirit.

If you would like a Christmas order form or to join us and set up a stall, contact Tim on 834494.

I Love Manx is reminding all producers and sellers of Manx made food and drink that the deadline for inclusion in the 2010 ‘Your Guide to Manx Produce’ is Friday 20th November.

The guide provides details of farmers’ markets, farm shops and retail outlets across the Isle of Man, as well as details of other local independent suppliers of Manx produce as well as the main processors of Manx food and drink.

This year sees the addition of eateries on the Island that support Manx produce.

Also included is a seasonal month-by-month guide to Manx fruit and vegetables, game, seafood and meat to help consumers eat with the Manx seasons; enjoying the diversity of fresh tastes with minimal food miles.

The guide, now in its third year, has expanded with each reprint as the demand for Manx food has increased with consumer desire for produce from top quality, fully traceable, local sources.

Once more, Your Guide to Manx Produce has been endorsed by the The Hairy Bikers, who are amongst the most enthusiastic supporters of Manx food and drink, as demonstrated by their appearances at the Queenie Festival and Septembers’ Food and Drink Festival at the Villa Marina.

Entry in the guide is free (subject to the conditions on the entry form).

Anyone interested in being included should simply download an entry form from www.ilovemanx.org or phone 662204 for a copy and return it to DAFF using the address at the bottom of the form by the deadline of Friday 20th November.

I Love Manx Campaign is a joint initiative of the Manx National Farmers’ Union and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Well done to all 72 of the Isle of Man’s schools dinner staff who have achieved a 100 percent pass rate in exams and have gained the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) level two award in food safety. It’s really great to know that the preparation, hygiene, handling, cleaning and storage is all taken seriously when preparing meals for all the kids on the on the Isle of Man. It really is reassuring to know that when it comes to lunch time their in safe and reliable hands.

I am sure all the parents on the Isle of Man are very proud and no doubt Mr Oliver would be as well.

Big up the Isle of Man Dinner ladies!

Apparently it’s British Sausage this week – you learn something new every day!

The Sausage week is being celebrated by Ratcliffe’s Butchers in Castletown and for those of you who don’t know Chris or Lenny as he is better known and his Dad, well they have been making cracking sausages for years now!

Throughout the week they will be making up a whole host of sausage recipes and trying out some new varieties incorporating local ingredients such as Manx cheese and Bushy’s beer so be sure to head on to Castletown for some tasty meaty treats. They will also be doing sampling on Friday and Saturday so I might even head down for look myself – I do love a good sausage or two, oh and smothered in Colemans English Mustard! Yum!

Bizzarely it seems that there is a British Sausage Appreciation Society that has Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee as the main endorsers… now that is bizarre!

According to a new study, eating a diet high in processed food increases your risk of developing depression. The research also suggests that people who eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and fish lessen their risk significantly. This is even more reason to shop local and get cooking your self instead of buying processed foods lacking in any goodness!
If you want to know more about how food could be making you sad click here.

The Isle of Man Creamery’s Garlic & Chive Mature Cheddar has recently won a Bronze medal at this year’s British Cheese Awards.

The Awards were held in Cardiff Castle on 25th September with a total of 884 entries were received from 189 cheesemakers and judged by a panel of 60 top industry experts, amongst them cheese buyers, journalists, chefs and food critics.

Gordon Smith, Sales and Marketing Director, said, “This is fantastic news for the Creamery.

“Winning a Bronze medal at the British Cheese Awards is a tribute to the craft and dedication that our cheesemakers put into making our range of award winning cheeses.”

Isle of Man Creamery desribes its hand-blended, award-winning cheese as “a taste of the Continent for true cheese aficionados, combining the depth of flavour of our Isle of Man Mature Cheddar with the delicate taste of chives and the more lingering savour of garlic – meltingly delicious.”

This is the latest in a string of prestigious awards for the Creamery’s range of cheeses.

In this year alone, its Vintage Cheddar beat all the competition in Tesco’s annual ‘Cheese Challenge’, its Black Peppercorn Mature Cheddar took Gold in the Great Taste Awards, and its Oak-Smoked Mature Cheddar earned a Silver medal in the World Cheese Awards