Orkney is a farming and fishing community, and its local food is sold mostly by the people who smoke, mill and butcher it. This guide covers five places we could confirm: Jollys’ smokehouse shop and Donaldsons in Kirkwall, E Flett in Stromness, Barony Mill at Birsay and the honesty shop at Wheems Organic Farm on South Ronaldsay.
You do not need to live on a farm to eat closer to one. A single stop you can return to, a short shopping list and a cool bag are a good start, and most of these places will tell you what came from their own land if you ask.
Which farm shop or picking farm should you choose?
In Kirkwall, Jollys’ Hatston shop is the place for fish smoked in its own kiln, and Donaldsons for haggis, puddings and smoked Orkney beef. In Stromness, E Flett has sold Orkney beef, pork and lamb since 1876.
For something only Orkney makes, Barony Mill at Birsay grinds bere into beremeal, though it is closed until May. Wheems on South Ronaldsay sells its own organic eggs from an honesty shop; phone first.
Check the farm’s current crops, opening times and prices before travelling. Picking seasons vary, and a farm shop may sell produce without offering pick-your-own visits.
- Jollys of Orkney, Hatston Shop , Fish smoked over oak in its own kiln, Kirkwall
- Barony Mill , Beremeal from Orkney's last working watermill
- Donaldsons of Orkney , Orkney haggis, puddings and smoked beef since 1955
- E Flett Butcher , Orkney beef, pork and lamb in Stromness since 1876
- Wheems Organic Farm , An organic farm honesty shop on South Ronaldsay
Jollys of Orkney, Hatston Shop
Map and location
Hatston Industrial Estate, Scott's Road, Kirkwall KW15 1GR. View Jollys of Orkney, Hatston Shop on the map.
Contact: 01856 872417.
Over 70 years of Orkney fish
Jollys is a family-owned fish merchant and smokehouse that has served Orkney for over 70 years, now owned by George and Anne Stout with their sons Jack and Ben. Fish is filleted by hand and smoked in its own traditional kiln over oak chippings, and since 2024 its smoked products carry The Orkney Smokehouse brand.
The Hatston shop beside the factory sells its fresh and smoked fish along with Orkney fudge, biscuits, oatcakes, cheeses and hot and cold food.
Visiting and buying
The shop opens Monday to Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm and Saturday 9am to 4.30pm, and is closed on Sundays.
It also does filled rolls and pies, and Jollys runs The Brig Larder deli in central Kirkwall.
Jollys of Orkney, Hatston Shop: website and opening hours.
Barony Mill
Map and location
Barony Mill, Birsay, Orkney KW17 2LY. View Barony Mill on the map.
Contact: 01856 721439.
The only mill in the world grinding bere
Barony Mill was built in 1873 and is still water-powered. It is the last working watermill in Orkney and the only place in the world milling bere, an ancient barley grown in Orkney for about 5,000 years. It is run by the Birsay Heritage Trust, a charity.
The mill shop sells beremeal, oatmeal, baked beremeal treats and gifts.
Visiting and buying
The mill opens from May to late September, with tours every 45 minutes from 11am to 3.30pm; Orkney.com says the shop opens daily from 11am to 4pm in that season. Tickets are £7.50 for adults and £4.50 for children aged 7 to 15. It is now closed for the 2026 season.
Tours take eight people and last about 30 minutes, so book ahead. The building has stairs over several levels, and there is parking on site.
Barony Mill: website and opening hours.
Donaldsons of Orkney
Map and location
38 Albert Street, Kirkwall KW15 1HQ. View Donaldsons of Orkney on the map.
Contact: 01856 872641.
A butcher with its own smokery and bakehouse
Donaldsons is a Kirkwall butcher founded in 1955. Behind the shop is a working factory with a smokery, sausage and pudding production, butchery and bakehouse.
It makes its own cured and smoked bacon and hams, sausages, puddings, award-winning Orkney haggis and smoked and spiced Orkney-farmed beef, and won three Great Taste awards in 2025.
Visiting and buying
The shop opens Monday to Saturday 10am to 3pm and is closed on Sundays.
Free delivery within Orkney on orders over £20. Christmas hours are posted on its social media.
Donaldsons of Orkney: website and opening hours.
E Flett Butcher
Map and location
63 John Street, Stromness KW16 3AD. View E Flett Butcher on the map.
Contact: 01856 850309.
Five generations of Stromness butchers
E Flett was established in 1876 by Adam Flett after he returned from the Hudson’s Bay Company, and is now in its fifth generation under John and Janette Park.
It sells Orkney beef, pork and lamb prepared by hand, plus its own black and white pudding, haggis, cooked meats, home-cured bacon, soups and ready meals.
Visiting and buying
The shop opens Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm and Saturday 8am to 4pm.
Visit Orkney’s food writer suggests Fletts for North Ronaldsay mutton, which is usually in the freezer. There is a daily delivery and collection service around Stromness.
E Flett Butcher: website and opening hours.
Wheems Organic Farm
Map and location
Wheems, South Ronaldsay KW17 2TJ. View Wheems Organic Farm on the map.
Contact: 01856 831 556.
A 16-acre organic farm by the sea
Wheems is a 16-acre organic farm overlooking the sea on South Ronaldsay, run by Robert and Vicky. It keeps Highland cows, pigs, ponies and chickens and grows fruit and vegetables in a polytunnel and greenhouse.
The farm sells its own eggs and other local produce in its honesty farm shop.
Visiting and buying
Hours are not published, and the farm is mainly a campsite and glamping site, so phone to check the honesty shop is open to visitors who are not staying.
South Ronaldsay is linked to the Mainland by the Churchill Barriers, so it is a short drive from Kirkwall.
Wheems Organic Farm: website and opening hours.
Knowing a farm shop you can return to is also one of the most practical ways to be ready for disruption. Read The Be Ready Campaign: A UK Guide to Stocking Your Home With Healthy, Local Food, and use the Be Ready Map to find more local food across the UK.
Plan your farm visit, produce, quantities and picking dates
Choose one or two farms or farm shops that fit your route. Write down what you want, how much you need and what you will do with it when you get home. If one crop is unavailable, decide whether to choose a different farm, change the meal or return another day.
- Confirm the crop, public opening and any booking requirement.
- Ask whether you can pick yourself or buy already picked.
- Check the price unit, payment method and containers.
- Ask about access, parking and the correct visitor entrance.
Farm shop and fruit-picking questions
Where can I buy local food in Orkney?
Try Jollys’ Hatston shop and Donaldsons in Kirkwall, E Flett in Stromness, Barony Mill at Birsay in summer and Wheems Organic Farm on South Ronaldsay.
What is beremeal?
Beremeal is flour milled from bere, an ancient barley grown in Orkney for about 5,000 years. Barony Mill in Birsay is the only mill in the world that grinds it.
Are Orkney’s food shops open on Sundays?
Jollys, Donaldsons and E Flett list no Sunday opening, so plan a weekday or Saturday visit.
Sources
- Jollys of Orkney, Hatston Shop
- Barony Mill
- Donaldsons of Orkney
- E Flett Butcher
- Wheems Organic Farm
- Jollys of Orkney: about
- Barony Mill, Orkney.com
- Donaldsons, Orkney.com
- Wheems Organic, Orkney.com
Research reviewed 27 October 2026. Farm and visitor sources support the descriptions above. No firsthand visit, current stock check or certification is claimed.