Food Shopping on Islay

If you’re heading over to stay with us at Persabus shortly and wondering what food to bring, we have you covered. This is a shout out to our fantastic guests, and anyone planning a trip to Islay, especially if you are planning on catering for yourselves. You’ve checked into one of our cosy holiday cottages at Persabus and now you’re wondering where on Islay do you go to buy fresh produce ready for cooking up some hearty meals. There’s plenty of opportunity to support local independent producers and shops, and enjoy a range of fresh, local ingredients. By shopping locally you are helping to support the island’s economy, local community and producers.

I often get asked if it’s necessary to arrive with a car packed with supermarket produce, or if it’s possible to buy good food on Islay.

Rest assured we have some excellent delicatessens located in gorgeous artisan village stores. With a fantastic butcher’s shop, selling locally sourced meat, the butcher even has his own farm on Islay! There’s places you can pick up baking to take away. There’s a farm shop, selling meats, amazing cheeses and ices from Scottish producers. Enjoy jams and marmalades bursting with local fruits and drams. Enjoy fish harvested from the sea, and most of all, enjoy ‘cooking up a storm’, from Bbq’s to picnics on the beach, dinner parties, and fireside suppers, Islay’s local producers and shops are bursting with ingredients to whet your appetite.

Food shopping in Port Ellen (half hour drive from Persabus)

Campbells

Food shopping on Islay and in Port Ellen, the village stores, Campbells is definitely the place to visit. Locally owned and locally run. They have an amazing stock of everything a good foodie could need. Who can’t resist a great deli loaded with cheeses, cured meats, hams, spices, pulses and pastas? They also carry a huge range of produce and stock that will ensure hearty meals for the length of your stay.

Balaclava Byre Farm Shop

Enjoy stocking your shelves with fresh local produce from Cornabus Farm. There’s a great stock of locally sourced meat ready for those hearty stews, roasts and casseroles.

The Co-op

Port Ellen also has it’s own Co-op stores, with fresh stock brought in regularly from the mainland.

The Co-op is open seven days a week from 0700hrs to 2200hrs

Bowmore Food Shopping (twenty minute drive from Persabus)

Bowmore is the main village on Islay. There are a variety of shops to browse your way through, as well as the world famous Bowmore Distillery.

Labels

First stop and it’s Shore Street. Here, be sure to pay a visit to Lynn at ‘Labels‘. A gorgeous little coffee shop, selling gifts and more. Lynn also supplies baking to take away. Enjoy some delicious home baking to add to your shopping bag.

The Refillery at Bowmore Post Office

Islay even has a ‘refillery’, bursting with nuts, seeds, spices and more. You may be on holiday but you won’t be short of ingredients to serve up delicious curries and sauces.

Porter’s Butchers

Porter’s Butchers is also situated on Shore Street. The Porter family are a well known, award winning, farming family, with their home farm on Islay. The butcher’s shop is well stocked with meat from their farm, fresh fruit and veg. It’s a great place to pop by if you’re looking for aubergines, pomegranates, coconuts, and more. The counter also has an exciting stock of ready meals, made on the premises, stocked with meats, sauces and veg, ready to pop in the oven. Who said ‘self-catering’ had to involve hours at the stove? This is the perfect stop on your way back from the beach if you’re looking for a healthy, fresh oven ready feast. Oh, and don’t forget to stock up on sausages and burgers for that beach barbeque.

The Islay Whisky Shop

Another ‘treasure’ in Bowmore. Sally and her team always offer a friendly welcome in their well stocked, artisan store. The Whisky Shop has a great variety of wines and spirits, but do check out their deli counter. It is definitely the place to head for it you are looking for cheeses, cured meats, olives, pulses, pastas and loads more. I definitely recommend you take home some of the waxed block of Black Bomber Cheddar. It’s the Happy Farmer’s favourite. Oh and Sally also stocks an amazing variety of cheese biscuits and red wines to compliment the cheese!

Jean’s Fresh Fish

Our lovely local fishmonger, Jean and her team, have a well stocked trailer in Jamieson Street, Bowmore. Great if you are wanting to make some seafood bisque, a fish pie, or enjoy the delights of some clams seared in butter and garlic. There’s a fantastic variety on offer.

The Co-op

Our fantastic Co-op Stores, a big shout out to the local teams who work tirelessly to keep the shelves stocked, and go the extra mile with a fantastic service and a huge Islay welcome always.

Islay’s equivalent of a ‘supermarket’. The Co-op have stores across the country. Open seven days a week from 0700hrs to 2200hrs, even if you arrive off the late ferry there’s still time to pop and stock up with your holiday essentials.

Bridgend Food Shopping (Fifteen minutes drive from Persabus)

Bridgend Stores

Fondly known to locals as ‘Jimmy’s’. Jimmy ran Bridgend Stores, and his father before him, for many years. It’s an ‘institution’. Bridgend is a bit of an Aladdin’s cave. Now run by Islay Estates Company, Bridgend Stores has a huge stock of everything from freezer goods, tins, fresh fruit and veg, savouries, household goods, milk, cheese, yoghurts, the list goes on. It is managed and ran by locals, always welcoming and friendly, it is the ‘hub’ of the island.

Bruichladdich (a half hour drive from Persabus)

Debbie’s Minimarket in Bruichladdich

Debbie’s is a deli, coffee shop, post office, mini market and more. Pop by for a coffee, join the local farmers, distillers, taxi drivers, and hoteliers, as they put the world to rights over bacon rolls and coffee. Enjoy organic porridge and museli, snacks, preserves and more.

M A Mackinnon’s Marmalade

Delicious marmalades and preserves, home made and bursting with local fruits and whisky. Great for your morning toast, or as gifts to take home. Keep those taste buds bursting with the flavours of Islay throughout the year. Tel: 01496 850495 or 07399400881

Port Charlotte (half an hour drive from Persabus)

Port Charlotte Store

With regular deliveries of bread, butcher’s meat and pies, fruit and veg, and with Port Charlotte being one of Islay’s most popular destinations, Lynn and Tom’s local store and post office is a great place to pop by on your way to or from the beach. Oh and they also have really great rates at their fuel pumps too!

Nerabus Farm

Islay’s market garden, Heather and Kevin grow all their own produce, alongside hand rearing pigs, and hens. They deliver veg boxes across the island, and often have a van with an honesty box, stocked with fresh produce for you to take away.

Tormisdale (45 minute drive from Persabus)

Windswept Farm Shop

Pop along to Rod and Jessie’s farm at Tormisdale. The newly opened Windswept Farm Shop is tucked away in the wilds of Islay’s west coast, along a scenic single track road. With freezers filled with their own farm produced meats, alongside, ices, cheeses, biscuits, gifts and more it is definitely a wee treasure trove to pop onto the shopping itinerary.

Killinallan (45 minute drive from Persabus)

Islay Oysters, Craigens

If you are wanted to savour the delights of locally harvested oysters then pop along to Islay Oysters. They harvest their award winning oysters fresh from the shores of Loch Gruinart as well as stocking meat from their surrounding farmland.

A warm welcome awaits at our farm accommodation at Persabus.