Meet the Producers -
Y Gharey Nursery

For any newcomers, who are you and what do you do?

We are a small, independent plant nursery, situated between The Sulby Glen Hotel and Sandygate. We have all of the good old  favourites as well as more unusual varieties for keen gardeners. Everything is grown right here on the Island.

When did you establish your business?

We launched our nursery twelve years ago - and choose the name 'Y Gharey' Nursery which is Manx for The Garden. We are all about helping our customers create gardens they love.

What inspired you to begin?

The nursery was born out of Martina's passion for plants, which began as a hobby. With the desire to offer local gardeners an inspiring choice of locally-grown plants, which are proven to thrive in the  Manx weather it turned into a business! It was also the perfect way for Martina to put down roots and actively connect with the local community through a  shared  joy for gardening – at the time she had recently moved to the Island from Germany.

How has your business grown since then?

From a boggy and overgrown plot, the nursery has developed into a unique and  charming combination of garden, allotment and nursery. It is ever-changing throughout the seasons,  with plants for sale throughout the site for you to discover as you explore.  This year we have become regulars at Ramsey Farmer Market on Saturday mornings, as well as attending the Royal Manx Show. We also sell any of our extra fresh, seasonal produce that we grow on site, including  Physalis (cape gooseberries). From a very local nursery, we have developed a very loyal customer base from all over the Island. We have always been committed to a green and ‘no chemical’, ecological approach to running the nursery, which many of our customers value.

This year we are setting up a sister business, The Manx Gourmet Mushroom Farm - producing  button and portobello mushrooms as well as oyster and other exotic edible mushrooms.

Where are you based and what does that community mean to you?

We are situated in the north of the Island on the road between The Sulby Glen Hotel and Sandgate, look out for our sign as you drive by, and pop in and say hello. We have a lot of regulars from the local community but love to see more of the gardening community from all parts of the island.

What does the Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival mean to you?

The Food and Drink Festival is inspiring to us as a small, independent nursery and we are looking forward to meeting all of the other local businesses which have the same level of passion for what they do, as we do for our nursery.

The festival is the perfect place for us to launch The Manx Gourmet Mushroom Farm - look out for us in the demo kitchen where we will be preparing the mushroom dishes that you can sample and take away a recipe card, and we are excited at the chance to hear everybody's feedback.

Which other local producer(s) are you most looking forward to seeing this year?

Everyone! It's a truly amazing food, drink and art producing community on the Island, and everyone is brilliant in their own right.

What’s on the horizon for your business?

Keep on doing what we like and learn from our customers so we can continue to provide a different and interesting option when they are thinking about their gardens.

What is your signature dish/product?

Well it has to be anything to do with mushrooms, as those who attend the cooking demo for our new Manx Gourmet Mushroom Farm business will discover!