Orkney Craft Vinegar to top up workforce after funding boost

A former chef who moved to Orkney is expanding his vinegar-making business that is favoured by celebrity chefs including Nick Nairn and James Martin as demand soars across the UK.

Former chef Sam Britten is committed to using only local produce. Picture: orkney.com.

Sam Britten started Orkney Craft Vinegar in a garage in the village of Orphir in 2017 and now operates from a newly expanded base in Kirkwall, with plans to add three staff by the end of this year.

The business has boosted productivity after securing nearly £13,000 to help buy equipment, including a bespoke aerator that is already speeding up the fermentation process. Orkney Craft Vinegar makes six products from scratch, ageing them for up to a year in barrels` formerly used for whisky.

Britten said: “I wanted to do something slightly different with the bere barley and decided to make vinegar. In my previous job as a chef, vinegar was used as a seasoning and in lots of sauces so it made sense to me to use something local instead of importing it.“We are committed to using only Orkney produce and there's a particular interest in the ingredients that we use such as the bere barley and sugar kelp seaweed, which give the products their distinct flavours."

Gavin Cameron, HIE account manager at the Orkney area team, said: “This is an excellent example of an innovative local food and drink company. Having the new equipment in place will allow the business to focus on meeting the increased demand for their products and expand into markets across the UK and beyond.”

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