Shetland’s excellent food and drink sector is working together to offer an exciting new culinary tour of the islands. Ryan Nicolson gets a taste of what’s to come.
When planning your great Shetland adventure, dining may not be at the top of the agenda.
Where and what to eat and drink? That’s often secondary to the stunning scenery, wonderful wildlife and celebrated crafts.
But what if Shetland’s remarkable culinary scene became the main purpose for a visit?
That idea – a week-long food and drink tour taking in Shetland’s finest produce and producers – inspired Jolene Garriock, who wants more people to discover the islands' gastronomic treasures.
The result is the Taste of Shetland tour, which will set off in August 2025 for a maiden trip through the isles – taking in everything from exceptional local mussels and lamb to Shetland-brewed beer and gin and even a unique chef’s table experience.
Jolene said she was inspired by a joke made by a visitor enjoying one of the wool tours around the isles.
“The groups get to eat at a lot of really nice restaurants, and one woman said, ‘You should call this a food and drink tour with knitting on the side’,” Jolene said.
“That made me wonder if you could do a food and drink tour, so I started writing down ideas.”
She brought the idea to Taste of Shetland director Steve Mathieson, who was immediately on board.
“We are thinking of producing a food trail or booklet, not just for visitors but for locals as well,” he said.
“We were already thinking about that then Jolene had the idea for a specific tour in the same vein as her wool tours.
“It just seemed like a really great fit. It was a no-brainer.”
The difficulty for the pair then became fitting in as many of Shetland’s incredible food and drink producers within a week.
Stops on the tour will include an award-winning organic farm at Uradale, sampling beers at Lerwick Brewery and whisky at the town’s new distillery, and getting out on the water to see a mussel farm up close – among a range of other excursions.
And visitors will be based in the historic Voe House, where they will eat what they have seen that day on the tour – with chefs cooking just for them.
Handmade Fish in Shetland’s South Mainland is one of the group’s destinations, and owner David Parham said he was eager to show them his wood-smoked salmon.
“I find myself being continually surprised at some of the flavours that I’m creating,” he said.
“Offering tastings of my smoked salmon is all about increasing awareness of how smoked salmon can taste.
“I feel that the fruits of my labours should be shared and the knowledge I’ve accumulated should be passed on to those who are interested in what I’m doing."
There’s something special about being so close to the source of your ingredients –it adds a layer of freshness and authenticity to every dish.
The group are set to get a real treat at the home of Akshay Borges – AKA the Shetland Chef – who will produce a four-course meal with ingredients he has grown at his own isles home.
Akshay will also give a live demonstration of how to make a classic local delicacy, bannocks.
He said the group will “get a real taste of Shetland, quite literally”.
“As a part of the private dining experience, they’ll get to taste dishes made with fresh, seasonal, and local produce - some grown in my own garden, others foraged and mostly from local crofts or fishermen,” he said.
“It’s all about telling the story of Shetland and the dishes I ate growing up through food.”
He started growing his own vegetables at home at the start of 2024, despite the less-than-hospitable Shetland weather and said they have “made a huge difference” to the way he cooks.
“There’s something special about being so close to the source of your ingredients –it adds a layer of freshness and authenticity to every dish.
“I can straight away tell the difference in flavour between locally grown produce and something that is mass produced thousands of miles away.”
Lerwick Brewery head brewer Jonny Sandison thinks the climate in the isles works in their favour, resulting in “very unique” brewing conditions.
“We are lucky to have the perfect climate for brewing lager which likes a cold fermentation,” he said.
“The number one ingredient in beer is water and we have pure Shetland water available to us.
“Each of our beers is inspired by Shetland so people feel like they get a taste of our home wherever they are.”
Steve hopes that the tour, operated by Jolene's Island Vista guiding company, will help make Shetland a foodie destination for years to come.
“I think there has been a gap in the market,” he said.
“Shetland Food and Drink want to become a part of that mix for visitors.
“People already know about our wildlife, arts and crafts, wool, and knitting. We want to put Shetland’s food and drink on the map.”
And though lamb and seafood rightfully take most of the acclaim, he said Shetland was far more varied in terms of what food and drink it offers than many people may think.
“If you look at Commercial Street we have got a French restaurant at one side and at the other there is a German-run café – I think it’s even more diverse than even locals realise.”
Jolene agrees there has been a gap in the market for a specialist tour – and thinks it’s about time visitors get a taste of what the locals love about Shetland.
“I do think it gets missed, I don’t think it gets promoted as much as it should,” she said.
“The food and drink producers in Shetland never get celebrated enough, nobody ever shouts about them.
“They’re growing and rearing here, which is not an easy thing to do given our conditions. To produce anything up here, it takes a lot of time and effort.
“We also wanted to showcase the challenges that Shetland producers have to deal with.”
When someone visits Shetland and tastes our seafood, lamb, or even just a bowl of soup made with local ingredients, they’re experiencing Shetland in a way they’ll never forget.
Akshay is excited about the opportunity to introduce the finest ingredients the isles have to offer to as many people as possible. He confidently says there is nothing like Shetland’s food and drink anywhere else.
“The seafood is exceptional because it’s raised or caught in the pristine waters of the North Sea, the sheep and lamb roam around the beautiful hills and seashore eating a natural diet of heather, seaweed and grasses or the cows that produce milk roaming free in the pastures.
“I do think Shetland’s food scene deserves more recognition. There’s so much potential here for people to discover the richness of our food and drink.”
He pointed to mussels, scallops and haddock as firm favourites on any menu he creates, and described Shetland Dairy’s milk, cream and butter as “second to none”.
Borges first came to Shetland 15 years ago with no prior knowledge of the quality of the local produce and says food is almost always at the heart of what makes the isles so special.
“When someone visits Shetland and tastes our seafood, lamb, or even just a bowl of soup made with local ingredients, they’re experiencing Shetland in a way they’ll never forget.
“I hope this tour shows people that our food scene is just as impressive as our landscapes and culture.
“This could be the start of something bigger – getting more people to think of Shetland as a destination for incredible, locally sourced food.
“I’d love to see Shetland become a must-visit spot for anyone passionate about food which also connects its history to it.”
Discover more about the exceptional food and drink produced in Shetland.
From the freshest seafood to native lamb, and artisan baked goods to organic vegetables, an excellent variety of quality food is grown and produced in the islands.
The islands offer a greater variety of food than ever, and it’s easy to find excellent local ingredients.