Borneo Pantry, Cowes

No, you haven’t misread the name – Borneo is a giant island in Southeast Asia, not a place on the Isle of Wight! But this Cowes-based producer started out in Brunei, Borneo – and the name has stuck.

Setting up their fledgling gourmet venture in 2011, husband and wife team Helen and Kristian McGuire began creating their delicious chutney for family, friends, and other expats missing their store cupboard staple.

Returning to the UK in 2015, the Borneo Pantry was – and continues to be – massively well received on the local foodie scene, prompting the duo to take a dedicated commercial kitchen to meet demand for their serial Great Taste Gold award-winning jars: Christmas Chutney (2020), Proper Piccalilli (2018) and deliciously quirky Pickled Watermelon (2017).

A real kitchen table startup turned growing family business, Borneo Pantry’s passion for tasty preserves has secured them a place on the shelves and in the kitchens of loads of fantastic local delis, farmshops and cafes around Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

More recently, lucky Islanders and visitors have been snapping up Cowes Grazing platters for take out picnics and drinks with friends at home. Containing everything needed for a gourmet lunch or supper, like great cheeses, fresh berries and, of course, a dollop or two of tasty Borneo Pantry chutneys, Cowes Grazing charcuterie, vegetarian, vegan, seafood or mixed platters are made fresh to order (yum!).

Get them on the Island by prearranged collection or delivery on Satuday. And if you’re in town, you can also find them – paired with some great vino – on the menu at the Compass Bar, Cowes.