Food and Drink
Our outstanding produce already has a place on many Shetland menus, but it’s also finding its way into kitchens well beyond our islands, wherever discerning food lovers are to be found. The islands’ fishermen still supply top-quality fish and shellfish to customers in Shetland, the rest of the UK and overseas. Although most of Shetland’s lambs are still sent to north-east Scotland for fattening in the autumn, there is growing interest in lamb that has been reared entirely in the islands, which is not surprising, because it has a truly exceptional flavour. As well as being widely available in Shetland, it’s sold by a small but growing number of high-class butchers elsewhere in Britain. Shetland beef is also delicious, but is produced in quite small quantities; it may be very hard to find, but well worth the effort.

However, Shetland producers offer much more than fish and meat.  In 2010, we saw not only one, but two, cheesemakers begin production with some wonderful soft and hard cheeses.  There are vegetables, including the renowned Shetland Black potato along with kale, carrots and turnips. We also have some salads, herbs and fruit.  Rhubarb grows particularly well and can make a great pairing with mackerel or herring. There is also a great range of bread, cakes, biscuits and oatcakes from our small, traditional bakeries. Our producers have also turned a hand to producing fudge and chocolate.

Inevitably, Shetland has the most northerly post office, swimming pool or indeed bus shelter (amongst every other kind of thing) in the British Isles: it’s a very long list. Those fascinated by food will find the most northerly chef, farmer’s market or pig here, too, all of them on our northernmost island, Unst. There, too, they will find the most northerly brewery, which, since 1997, has produced limited amounts of some very tasty beers that are very much sought after. It was and is part of the growing movement towards smaller-scale, traditional brewing that has grown steadily in Britain, due in no small measure to the activities of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).

If you’re interested in tracking down Shetland food, the easiest place to start is in the Shetland Food Directory, which is available online at Food Shetland. It has details of many local producers and also lists several of Shetland’s eating places.