Wightlink is celebrating the opening of a new shop on board its flagship ferry St Clare, dedicated to selling products produced or supplied by Isle of Wight companies.
A number of local producers and suppliers have spent this afternoon (Friday) on board the Fishbourne-Portsmouth ferry to meet customers, offer samples of their products and talk about their businesses.
Representatives from Island Roasted Coffee, The Garlic Farm, Wight Crystal, Island Brewery, Full Spread sandwiches, Calbourne Classics, The Isle of Wight Biscuit Company and Medina Foods (wholesalers) were all on board.
Wightlink Operations Director, Elwyn Dop has said:
“We are proud to support the Isle of Wight’s wonderful companies, producing everything from garlic mayonnaise to delicious ales. Our new shop will showcase their products to hundreds and thousands of customers every year, they will make perfect Island gifts for friends and family”.
Talking about Wightlink’s commitment to stocking local suppliers, CEO Keith Greenfield has told Island Echo:
“We aim to give our customers an experience of the Isle of Wight on their journey both to and from the Island. It’s all about our customers and promoting the Isle of Wight as a destination.
“There are loads of brilliant products on the Island and we want to give suppliers an opportunity to sell to our customers. It seems the obvious thing to do.
Article continues below this advertisement “There will be other products to source and fill gaps in the range so we are happy to hear from anybody who thinks they have something our customers would appreciate. We want to showcase the best of what the Island has to offer.
“St Clare is currently our largest ship in the fleet which means we have the space to offer a dedicated food and beverage outlet. Next Summer, when our new ship enters into service, we will have even more space”.
Expanding on the details of the currently unnamed ship, Keith continued to say:
“The new ship will be slightly bigger than St Clare by 4m. The big difference for passengers will be the accommodation – the passenger areas will be a lot bigger. There will be more space for children’s areas, pet-friendly areas and so on and the level of comfort will be fantastic with a variety of types of seating.
“One thing that has been asked for is a quiet area to allow commuters to work, so we’ve incorporated that into the plans.
Today’s invited guests were given the opportunity to explore the Bridge of the ferry, giving an unique insight into the work of the Captain and crew that is not often seen.
