Food that's miles better on the Isle of Wight

Cherries from an orchard overlooking picturesque Godshill, Tomato Stall oak roasted tomatoes and sauces from the world-famous tomatoes grown in the Arreton Valley and award-winning beef from Highland cattle reared on the Isle of Wight are the latest gourmet treats to be featured on the new edition of the Wight Taste Trail, which traces a route that allows holidaymakers to eat and drink their way around the most scenic parts of the Island landscape.

First created in 2007 by cross-Solent ferry operator Wightlink (wightlink.co.uk) to provide tourists with a food-based short break itinerary, the Wight Taste Trail has now been updated and a new booklet published that spotlights the best local producers - like Richard Hodgson who set up the Isle of Wight Cheese Company and won ‘Best English Cheese’ at the World Cheese Awards 2007 within months.

Two new producers are profiled in the Wight Taste Trail:

• Jeff MacDonald of The Tomato Stall who uses a wide range of tomato varieties grown at Wight Salads, a familiar name from British supermarkets, to produce mouth-watering pure tomato sauces, juices and, most originally, whole tomatoes oak-smoked for a pungent flavour.

• Stuart Pierce of Godshill Cherries, the Island’s newest fruit producer, who is intent on putting Isle of Wight Fruit on the map. Formerly at the helm of Isle of Wight Bacon, Stuart has changed direction and is producing cherries on a sunny site that overlooks the picture postcard village of Godshill. Working with local farmers, he will, this year, launch Isle of Wight Fruit, spotlighting strawberries and raspberries as well as his own cherries.

The Wight Taste Trail also profiles restaurants and pubs which set their standard by the quality of local food on their menus. Prominent among the 14 featured in the new guide is Robert Thompson’s Hambrough in Ventnor - winner of a 2009 Michelin star within six months of Robert’s having taken over as Chef/Patron last July. Since early May the Hambrough has been serving Highland beef which comes from Michael Poland’s farm in Wroxall – five minutes’ drive from the hotel.

“The taste of the beef from the Highland cattle reared on Wroxall Cross Farm is really distinctive and to my mind far superior to anything else available. It’s no wonder that bulls reared on the farm have gone to Oban, home of the breed, and snatched the top awards from local Scottish stock,” said Robert Thompson.

The Wight Taste Trail 2009 is the latest in a collection of illustrated Wightlink guides providing contrasting ideas for short breaks. It is available free from Wightlink from the website - wightlink.co.uk/wighttastetrail. Other guides include Footloose for visitors on foot, The Rare Plant Trail, which spotlights 20 of the UK’s most noteworthy plants and Eat Wight, a collection of mouth-watering recipes created by Wight Taste Trail chefs and producers.

WIGHT TASTE TRAIL GOURMET BREAK

Stay two nights at Robert Thompson’s Michelin-starred Hambrough overlooking the seafront in Ventnor from £177.50 per person (weekends August–October £227.50pp), including breakfast and return Wightlink car ferry crossings from Portsmouth or Lymington.

Wightlink operates car ferries between Portsmouth and Fishbourne, Isle of Wight and between Lymington and Yarmouth, Isle of Wight. Day return tickets cost from £35 and short stay tickets start from £40 for one night trips (both covering car, driver and three passengers). Foot passenger catamarans operate between Portsmouth Harbour (linking with South West Trains) and Ryde.