Sample the best of Shetland's food and drink

Claire White has been manager of Shetland Food and Drink since May 2019 – and she has big ambitions.

She was recently appointed as Shetland’s Regional Food Tourism Ambassador, expressing a desire to "put us on a par with the leading food destinations in the world.”

“We have such a rich, natural larder in Shetland, I think that's the selling point,” explains Claire.

“Our environmental credentials are first class by global standards. The seafood is just extraordinary, a lot of people don't realise more fish is landed here than in Northern Ireland, England and Wales put together.

“Whalsay have got the most amazing fleet, there's probably nowhere else like it for fish access.

“Even domestically, we tend to see folk buy haddock quite habitually and cook it quite simply, they fry it. There's nothing like a fried haddock, tatties and butter, it's hard to beat.

“Of course, there are lots of other fish that are caught here, such as turbot, hake, megrim, sole, ling, tusk... they are all really interesting, versatile fish."

Seafood will be among the fantastic produce celebrated at the annual Taste of Shetland festival organised by SFAD, this year a hybrid of online and physical events.

A new “Shetland Trailer” is set to be launched at the festival. Part of its use will be for “folk with no access to fish”, providing them with the chance to get “whatever they haven't tried before”, which includes superb quality shellfish, like mussels and scallops.

It's not all about fish, though. The festival and trailer will be used to promote the full extent of Shetland’s produce, much of it with exceptional provenance.

That, of course, includes Shetland lamb, which has received European Protection Designation status for a number of years.

Additionally, Shetland produces high-quality vegetables, a sector which Claire revealed is “expanding all the time”. In part that is thanks to the likes of Ollaberry-based social enterprise Polycrub, which produces and erects a gale-proof, hard-polycarbonate clad version of the polytunnel.

They are increasingly popular, enabling produce to thrive under even the toughest of weather conditions.

Claire has now called for more people to get involved in Shetland's hospitality sector – and to celebrate the fantastic food and drink that is found in the isles.

"We would love to have folk that would come here and have that passion for food, we'd love to invite them to come and network with us and to invest.”

She believes one of the attractions of Shetland is the ability to “really connect in a genuine way to the environment in which the food is created.

"For that you can't do much better than Shetland," she adds.

There are exciting opportunities for anyone who interested in joining the burgeoning sector.

“It can be a real journey of discovery for someone who is really caring and passionate about food. It's also kind of unknown territory you'd be stepping into, you could be the trailblazer or pioneer and really make a reputation for yourself that way.

“Also, it's such a great place to live in terms of family life, it's a great place to raise children and it's a flexible form of employment in some senses. There's lots of opportunities in Shetland, you would have no bother whatsoever if you wanted a job in the hospitality industry, you could get one tomorrow."

A Taste of Shetland Festival 2021 is set to serve up its varied menu on 23 October from 10am-5pm at the Clickimin Centre in Lerwick. For those unable to attend in person, the event can be enjoyed virtually online from 11am-3pm.

Meanwhile, Taste of Shetland are releasing several informative videos on food heritage such as traditional Shetland dairy and salt fish, which you can access via their website or social networks. Other subjects are in the works, including traditional Shetland agriculture, which Claire says will be released within the next fortnight. At the end of the year, a video focusing on reestit mutton will also come out.

Last year, four films were released regarding rhubarb, mackerel fishing, tattie soup and Shetland lamb to explore the "regional difference" in comparison to elsewhere.

Discover more about Shetland's food and drink scene on the Taste of Shetland website.