Our island paradise..
Couple’s delight at setting up Orkney tourism business
JANE Ellison and Paul Hudd both loved holidays on Orkney when they were younger.
So the couple, both 38, jumped at the chance to swap city life in Sheffield for the Northern Isles of Scotland when work opportunities arose there.
As well as their day jobs, they launched a business at the start of the year, offering food and drink tours, camper van hire and selfcatering house rental. Here, Jane tells us about her working day at the helm of JP Orkney.
Can you tell us about JP Orkney and the services you offer?
There are so many amazing local producers and we wanted to showcase what they do and get them to share their top foodie tips with visitors.
Our Spirit of Orkney Tour is about tasting quality whisky, spirits and wine made right here and savouring treats by local artisan smokers, bakers and cheese-makers.
We also offer bespoke tours and we’re launching a new Hop Around Tour in 2019, which will showcase some of our awardingwinning brewers.
Our camper van hire is a great option for tourists who want to explore the island at their leisure and have a comfy night’s sleep.
Our self-catering property is our Kirkwall house built in 1778. It sleeps up to four and provides all the home comforts you need but with an Orcadian touch.
Where did the inspiration for the business come from?
We always wanted to run our own business and live rurally.
When we had our little boy two years ago, we decided that, if we were serious about these plans, we should push ahead before our son became settled and made friendships.
We’d both enjoyed holidays in Orkney as children so we jumped at the chance for many reasons.
Did you have different jobs previously?
I’m a home economics teacher and recently secured a permanent part-time post, which is great as it allows me to spend time focusing on the business, while also bringing in a steady salary.
Paul works in the insurance industry, so he makes time in the evenings and at weekends to make sure our vans are clean and our accounts are all up-to-date.
We hope eventually to both work full-time on the business.
What’s a typical day like?
Depending on the day of the week and time of the day, I’m either a teacher, produce-maker, mum, administrator or tour guide.
No day is simply one theme, so I try to multi-task while making produce and doing the shopping and other chores.
When I’m at school, my time is for the kids I’m with. The business gets tended to at night after bedtime stories with our son.
What’s the journey of the business been like so far?
We’ve had a wonderful response to all aspects of our business. The camper van hire is more popular than we initially expected and the tours have been so well-received.
Just last week, I was approached to cater for a big event as some of my baking won prizes at the West Mainland Show this year.
What help and advice have you received?
Business Gateway were a great help through support of a grant to kit out the camper van and go towards advertising. Having a designated business guide, Wendy Pickles, to offer advice from the start was invaluable.
Wendy put me in touch with a number of people working in the tourism industry locally who were a massive support.
Favourite part of the job?
The variety, freedom and opportunities to work and meet some amazingly talented people are, without doubt, highlights.