Manx queenies have been crowned as the Isle of Man’s new national dish following a public vote.

The idea of choosing an ingredient to form the basis of a new Manx national dish was initiated by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture which held a public vote over the summer, to allow everyone to have their say. The response was huge with more than 2,500 people voting.

In the event, the Manx queenies ran out the clear winner with more than 500 votes, though chips cheese and gravy came a fairly close second with nearly 400.

Other tasty options people voted for included Loaghtan lamb, kippers, beef, cheese, bonnag and honey.

With the main ingredient chosen all that remained was for well known local chef, Tony Quirk, to devise a dish which would showcase the Manx Queen scallop and represent the island’s food and drink sector.

Cooking the dish live in front of an audience at the Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival, Tony chose to keep it simple, using the tried and tested combination of queenies with garlic and bacon in a quick and delicious stir-fried dish.

Festival-goers then had the chance to taste the dish and take away a copy of the recipe.

Choosing a new Manx national dish was more than just a matter of taste: the island’s food sector is now big business, worth approaching £100 million to the local economy. It’s been backed by the government’s Food Matters strategy, launched in 2014, which has encouraged and supported a real entrepreneurial spirit in local farmers and producers.

Minister for Environment, Food and Agriculture, Geoffrey Boot MHK, said: ’Food and drink is a real growth area for the island’s economy and the industry is supported by my department as part of efforts to grow the Isle of Man’s food and drink sector by £50 million by 2025.’

Mr Boot went on to welcome the result of vote for a new Manx national dish, saying: ’This was a hard-fought race that led to some lively public debate. It’s great to see so many people so passionate about Manx food. The vote has helped to raise the profile of the variety of Manx produce available as well as cementing the quality of our products in the public consciousness.

’Our Queen scallops are world-renowned for their quality and taste. They are worth millions of pounds to the island’s economy and support hundreds of jobs. Our efforts to conserve stocks, whilst not always popular, mean this is a sustainable export that we can use to fly the Manx flag around the world.’

The recipe for the new Manx national dish, Quick and Easy Manx Queenies with Garlic and Bacon is available online at www.gov.im/food.

Food and Drink Festival, see page 28.