Press Centre

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday 19 July 2007 Kirkwall, Orkney

Two Orkney Firms Sell Snow to Eskimos.

Introduction

BuyOrkney is an innovative website focused on Orcadian culture, history and environment. It is however, first and foremost an Orkney online shop where anyone can buy little pieces of Orkney and have them shipped around the world. More pieces are being added all the time. The BuyOrkney shop is taking orders for a variety of products including Orkney food and drink, Orkney-made jewellery, pottery and other crafts and Orkney books and CDs.

The Orkney Wine Company is the UK’s most northerly winery. It is a small family winery run by Emile and Marjolein van Schayk formerly from Holland who moved to Orkney in 1997. Emile van Schayk started making wine as a hobby but has now established a successful Orkney business. The wines are made in a traditional way with berries, flowers and vegetables, many locally grown in Orkney. The alcohol content is higher than from grape wines and this is all by natural fermentation. Only the 18 Carat, the carrot-whisky wine is fortified. The majority of the wines are sulphur free; alcohol is the preservative.

Snow to Eskimos and Coals to Newcastle

Selling wine to Australia is almost as hard as selling snow to Eskimos but that is what two Orkney firms have done. BuyOrkney have just sent a box of Orkney wine to a customer in Victoria, Australia. Despite living among some of Australia’s best known wine producers, he prefers the Strubarb and VeryBerry wines produced in Orkney by The Orkney Wine Company.

Pat Long, who runs www.BuyOrkney.com, is impressed by how far Orkney’s reputation for quality produce has spread. Apart from the wine, the furthest travelled parcels so far are Fursbreck pottery and Orkney fudge to Canada, Attic Studio’s CDs to New Zealand and books to California.

Pat Long of BuyOrkney and Emile Van Scheck of The Orkney Wine Company with the case of Orkney wine destined for Australia.

PS The wine arrived safely in Australia and the customer was delighted.

"Everything in one piece too and the wine tasting better than ever!... my Australian friend likes it very much and would like me to order some more"

[END]

Note to Editors

BuyOrkney is the trading name of Orkney Limited. This company was set up to promote and sell Orkney products. Development commenced late in 2005 and is ongoing. It is a private company funded entirely from private Orkney investment with no outside assistance.

For more information concerning the company or to arrange interviews / photographs contact Patricia Long on +44 (0) 1856 877300 or contact her through the website.

The BuyOrkney project will develop over the next year and press releases will be issued in most weeks to keep you informed of developments. To be placed on a mailing list for future press releases contact Patricia Long.

Contact our Press Officer for more information.