Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2011 | Page 143

island business Island Life - April/May 2011 More suppliers adding to the Made on the Isle of Wight talent show When the Made on the Isle of Wight shop opened its doors last November it was carrying stock from 90 local suppliers; six months on, the number has grown to 140. “We knew there was a lot of talent on the Island,” says the founder of the company, Robin Courage. “But I must admit we have been surprised by just how much industry and creativity we have tapped into. The majority of the products now being offered to us are of a very high standard.” The shop, on Bullen Road just outside Ryde, continues to showcase the spectrum of Island talent, selling fresh food, including vegetables, meat, dairy and bakery products, pickles and preserves and a wide variety of hand-made items among them cosmetics, candles, wood-work, textiles, ceramics, jewellery and paintings. It is a point of principle that the shop will accept well-made pieces by people just starting out as well as the work of established professionals such as Mark Konig and the IOW Natural Candle Company. ”You could say that we are a cross between a farm shop and a gift shop but the important thing is that absolutely everything is Island grown or made – nothing has travelled more than 21.5 miles to reach us,” says Courage. “In terms of our customers, we have found we appeal both to local people looking for an individual, original present, and to visitors who want a souvenir from their holiday here,” he continues. “And our stock is so varied that, whether your budget is £5 or £500, you should find something you like and can afford.” Three months after the real shop opened its doors, the online shop was launched carrying around 500 different items. “Our aim has always been to promote goods made on the Island further afield, and this is just the start of it,” says Courage, who ran an international marketing company until his retirement last year. “I firmly believe that there is strength in numbers and that by collecting all the top quality producers under one banner or brand you can promote them more effectively. Logic dictates that Visit our new website - www.visitislandlife.com by benefiting as a group our suppliers will benefit as individuals too. I hope during this gloomy economic period, that by promoting the Made on the Isle of Wight brand we will be able to spread some good news about manufacturing on the Island.” Later this year, Courage intends to launch the Made on the Isle of Wight ‘road-show’ taking products to a variety of shows on the mainland. In the meantime, development continues at the Bullen Road site. The shop sits within the greenhouse formerly owned by Bullen Mead retail nursery and using wood recycled from that venture, an extension has been built selling plants grown on site by the Quirk family. Utilizing the outside space further, there are plans for a barbecue area – selling local meat and salads – and a play area which will also serve to display bigger sculptural pieces. “The number of positive comments we receive about the work on show in the shop makes me proud to live on the Island,” says Courage. 143