The politician in charge of motorsport insists that all food and drinks stands at the Grandstand for this year’s TT have been allocated to Isle of Man-registered businesses.

A number of traders have accused the Department for Enterprise of favouring UK suppliers for the TT - and some vendors who are registered in the island might not have a year-round presence here.

One told Media Isle of Man: ‘It sems really unfair to local vendors.

‘Companies are registered here but they bring all the catering vans and staff from the UK. Local vendors aren’t being given a chance, and the legitimacy of “Manx” companies isn’t being checked.’

Excluding sponsors, a total of 28 pitches at the Grandstand have been allocated for this year, comprising both food and drink vendors as well as retail traders.

Of these, 21 pitches have been awarded to Isle of Man-registered businesses, while seven have been allocated to UK-registered businesses.

The UK-based traders are primarily motorsport-related retailers, offering team merchandise from well-known brands such as Uggly Co, Fan Merch, Red Torpedo, and Belstaff.

Sarah Maltby MHK, political member with responsibility for motorsport, said: ‘The DfE can confirm that applications for tradesites at the 2025 Isle of Man TT Races were open from November 25 to December 20 via the government's procurement portal.

‘Following the closure of the application period, all submissions were reviewed and scored fairly against a robust evaluation system approved by the Attorney General's Office, in full compliance with financial regulations.

‘Whilst the department cannot comment on specific businesses, it can confirm that all food and drink traders are Isle of Man-registered and operate under Isle of Man business registrations.

‘This aligns with the government’s procurement policy, which prioritises support for Isle of Man businesses wherever possible.’

She said that applicants were informed of the outcome of their submissions on Monday, January 20.

Due to space limitations at the TT site, not all applicants could be accommodated, and Mrs Maltby acknowledged that some businesses may have been disappointed with the outcome.

Successful applicants now have until February 7 to formally accept the pitch they have been offered.

Should they choose to decline their allocated pitch, the space will be offered to another trader based on their application score and the type of food and drink proposed.

Mrs Maltby said: ‘It remains a key priority to ensure that the tradesites at the TT Grandstand provide a varied and diverse range of food options, catering to visitors, paddock residents, and fans alike.

‘The department is committed to maintaining a fair and transparent process, ensuring that the scoring system is applied consistently across all applications. All applicants are welcome to request further feedback on their submissions to better understand the evaluation process and improve future applications.’

She added: ‘The department thanks all businesses for their interest and effort in applying and remains committed to providing opportunities for local and visiting traders to contribute to the world-famous Isle of Man TT experience.’