Enjoy a taste of the Isle of Wight with Wightlink

We go to great lengths to source the finest local produce for our Wight Taste cafés. We are committed to offering an authentic taste of the Isle of Wight and the surrounding region so we’ve partnered with a range of local suppliers to bring you fresh and delicious produce at our Wight Taste shops and cafes.

One of our core values is reducing our environmental impact, which is why we prioritise products that are grown, harvested, or produced close to home. By doing so, we minimise food miles—the distance food travels from farm to table—ensuring that our offerings are not only fresher but also more eco-friendly.

Whether it’s the milk from Isle of Wight cows, bread from a family-run bakery, or coffee beans roasted by local hands, we’re on a mission to find the best for our customers. Pick up a gift to take home or tuck into local fare during your journey – there’s plenty to get your taste buds tingling…

Allow us to introduce you to some of the producers behind the products found in Wight Taste.

Briddlesford Lodge Farm has been a working farm at least as far back as the first Doomsday records where it formed part of the Manor of Briddlesford.

Today the farm is very much a family affair: Paul Griffin took over the day-to-day running of the farm from his father Richard in recent years. Paul’s sister Louise manages the farm shop and his wife Chris runs the farm café and organises educational visits. The farm is now spread over roughly 220 acres of pasture and arable land and 60 acres of woodland.

We’ve been using Briddlesford’s fresh Guernsey milk in our teas and coffees since 2018. It gives our lattes, cappuccinos and flat whites a beautifully rich flavour and silky texture. The milk goes from cow to café in just 3 miles. We also introduced Briddlesford Milkshakes in 2023, so you can grab a bottle from the fridge and enjoy it ice cold, on the go.

Grace’s is a traditional family bakery working out of a former flour mill in the heart of Ryde.  Wightlink customers can now enjoy a range of sandwiches, wraps, paninis and pastries on our Fishbourne to Portsmouth route as well as our Camber Café in Portsmouth and Fishbourne Café.

Established more than 20 years ago by Ray Redrup and his wife Carole, the bakery is a true family affair with the couple’s four children Daniel, David, Sarah and Jodie involved in the day-to-day running of the business and Ray’s brothers Derek and Mark involved in the production of cakes and bread.

The family business was born from a lack of support for the speciality coffee industry, when husband and wife Dan and Viviana, started out in event catering nearly 20 years ago. They began roasting their own and today, many of the local coffee shops and cafés that you frequent on your visit to the Island will be serving up a blend of Dan’s speciality roasts. You could always pop into his own café ‘Caffe Isola’ or his new store in Newport, and chat to the man himself – over a cup of coffee of course!

Baked in the heart of the Island’s countryside at Rew Valley, biscuits are handmade in small batches using the finest ingredients, locally sourced wherever possible. Enjoy these traditional farmhouse biscuits dipped in a cuppa or with your lunch – the Farmhouse & Crumbles packs are included in our meal deal.

Simon Davis created Wight Salt in 2018 and has been producing sea salt sustainably on the Island in Yafford ever since. Natural evaporation methods are used to get the salt. The Isle of Wight has arguably the best climate in the UK but doesn’t have a Mediterranean climate so Simon and the team have worked creatively to harness as much natural energy as possible.

The sea is the centre stage for all Wight Salt products. Their delicious and innovative Seasoning Sprays, the Piccalilli which packs a real flavour punch, using ancient methods of brining with sea water and of course their flagship Salt which has a rare sweetness of taste.

Purveyors of delicious tomatoes grown with love on the sunny Isle of Wight, the Tomato Stall bring the freshest, ripest and tastiest tomatoes to a wide range of farmers’ markets, farm shops and restaurants around the UK – and now their products are available through Wightlink’s Wight Taste outlets.

You can’t go wrong with cake, it goes hand in hand with a cup of tea and always makes everything better, the girls at Calbourne Classics know this for sure! Sisters Louise and Jenny based at Three Gates Farm, a traditional 400 acre dairy farm where 200 cows live, with over 70 being used to produce milk for the extensive range of award-winning ice creams, artisan cakes, yogurts, clotted cream and much more.

Set in the picturesque village of Newchurch, you can smell The Garlic Farm before you can see it and that is no bad thing. Home to everything garlic, the family behind the pungent bulb have been growing garlic in our fertile soils for over 40 years. A true family business, headed up by father Colin Boswell, daughter Natasha – who has written several books on cooking with garlic – son Hugo and daughter Jo who head up the ‘Field Kitchen’. A trip here is a treat for the tastebuds.

All water you see carrying the Wight Crystal logo has been drawn locally on the Island at Knighton Spring. Not only is it good for you, but by drinking this water you are actually supporting an Island charity, as all profits help to fund care services, employment and life-enhancing opportunities for people with a range of disabilities. As well as still or sparkling water, Wight Crystal also produce traditional lemonade and ginger beer.

With names such as Wight Gold, Wight Knight and Yachtsman’s Ale, you can guarantee a true taste of the Isle of Wight. Island Ales have recently extended its range available on board. Brewed by Island people, Head Brewer Chris Coleman ensures that its beers represent some of the finest available anywhere.

Slab Artisan Fudge is made lovingly by hand in small batches which results in a unique sweet treat with a distinctive flavour and texture.

Rachel and Steve use closely guarded recipes to hand cook their fudge at their ‘depot’ on the Isle of Wight. It’s hand worked using only natural flavourings and the finest add-ins to create unparalleled creaminess and authenticity. All Slabs are packaged in 100% biodegradable bags with recyclable sleeves, and there’s a choice of dairy and vegan ranges.

The oldest brewery on the Isle of Wight and one of the first independent craft beer producers in the UK, Goddards has been brewing fine real ales since 1993. Its barley is grown here on the Island and the water supply to the brewery comes via a fresh water spring just a few miles down the road.

Bloody Hell Hot Sauce is hand crafted in small batches on the beautiful Isle of Wight by the Powers family. Bobby is originally from California and Rosie is from Surrey. The two decided to raise a family together on the Island, bringing family recipes with them. Eventually they started making hot sauce and sending it back home to family in the USA. Then everyone wanted to try some!

Wight Taste outlets stock the Original Bloody Hell Hot Sauce, presented in a angry chimp glass bottle.  The team use a unique combination of the finest ingredients including habanero and chipotle jalapeño peppers mixed with mango and tomato along with a few secret ingredients to give. Expect a bit of a kick with all the flavour! Produced in a nut free kitchen, the sauce is also suitable for vegans.

Our Wight Taste stores can currently be found on board Victoria of Wight, St Clare, St Faith, Wight Sun, Wight Light and Wight Sky. You’ll also find Camber Café at our Portsmouth Gunwharf port, Creek Café at our Fishbourne port, Curlew Café at our Lymington port and Clipper Café at Portsmouth Harbour. Our Wight Taste teams look forward to seeing you soon.