Taste of Arran
Arran is only 20 miles long and has a population of just 5000, but the range of food and drink is impressive: from traditional Scottish oatcakes, a whole host of cheeses, real dairy ice creams & sorbets, fruit preserves and mustards to real ales and malt whisky from the 2007 distiller of the year.
Taste of Arran products are all made on this one tiny island using as many natural ingredients as possible: the milk for their cheeses and ice-cream is collected daily from the island’s three small dairy farms. Their award winning products are handmade by people who care passionately about food and the wonderful environment in which they’re lucky enough to live and work. Each product captures the essence of Arran and every bite gives a taste of island life.
The ‘Arran Brand’ is becomingly increasingly well recognised and is synonymous with excellence; their products are regularly sighted on the menus of some of the country’s leading restaurants including Andrew Fairlie @ Gleneagles and The Kitchin.
Quality is an intrinsic part of each product, and Taste of Arran is committed to providing premium food and drink – their members were the first in the UK to achieve the Safe & Local Supplier Approved (SALSA) accreditation, and this is the minimum quality stand for Taste of Arran producers.
Arran Ice Cream
Arran Dairies was first set up in the 1930s by a dairy farming family in order for them to sell on their milk.
The business was developed over the years and in 1999 we first started making ice cream at our small dairy on the shores of Brodick Bay.
To this day the business is still owned and run by the same family and we still use only the milk produced by the dairy herds which graze on the island’s lush green pastures, encapsulating the natural unspoilt beauty of the island and giving our ice cream its distinctive creamy taste.
Our award-winning ice cream is handmade using only natural colours and flavourings in small batches of just 200 litres. Our small team are passionate about quality and in 2007 we were one of the first food producers in the UK to achieve Safe and Local Supplier Accreditation.
View the full range here.
Island Cheese Company
The Island Cheese Company has been producing their range of mouthwatering cheeses in a small creamery set within the former Home Farm of Brodick Castle for more than thirteen years.
In that time the business and its reputation for quality, has grown, and their cheeses have proved very popular with tourists and locals alike. A commitment to quality is the principle motivation of the company where cheese is made in the traditional way, and you will find no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives.
In the small shop adjoining the creamery, customers can view the artisan cheese makers at work, and sample the delicious results. As well as their own Arran Blue, soft cheeses and a range of flavoured cheddars, the shop also stocks an extensive range of high quality British farmhouse cheeses.
Along with 4 other Arran companies, Island Cheese Co. is one of the first in the UK to gain SALSA accreditation.
Bellevue Creamery
Nestling in the sleepy village of Blackwaterfoot on Arran’s west coast , Bellevue Creamery produces a range of delicious, award winning soft cheeses.
From a former milking shed converted into a modern creamery, Bellevue produces Arran Blue, Arran Mist (a smooth, creamy Scottish brie) and Arran Camembert – all from the milk of Arran cows. These cheeses have won awards around the globe including a Gold medal for the Arran Blue at the World Cheese Awards in 2011.
Arran Fine Foods
Arran Fine Foods is based in the picturesque village of Lamlash on the east coast of Arran.
The small factory started life in the early 1970s producing only mustard, but nowadays the range of mustards has expanded to include relishes, chutneys, marmalades and preserves all produced to a quality that matches that of the surrounding countryside. The provenance range incorporates the use of local ingredients such as world famous Arran Malt Whisky and Arran Ale.
Wooleys of Arran
In the cluster of shops overlooking Brodick Bay, Wooleys of Arran has been firing yeast dough in two antique scotch ovens since the middle of the nineteenth century.
Today’s owner has run the bakery since the 1980s when the craft bakery was almost at a standstill due to mass-produced bread products filling the shelves. These days though this trend has been reversed and Wooley’s has become famous far and wide for its range of traditionally baked Scottish Oatcakes; still handmade to a closely guarded family recipe.