The 2022 Gilten Beast, with gold ‘gilded’ horns

Isle of Wight tradition: Gilten Market’s festive celebration of agriculture

The 2023 Gilten Market will be held at Tapnell Farm Park on Monday 20th November, with bidding starting at 10am.

The Gilten Market is the only market held on the Isle of Wight and is our Christmas fatstock show. The Island is the only place in the British Isles that has a Gilten Market. 

It’s always held a few weeks before Christmas and celebrated by the current or a deputy High Sherriff gilding the horns of the winning fat steer – the Gilten Beast – with gold paint.

By holding the market at this time of year, it encourages IW farmers to produce top quality beef and fat lambs for the Isle of Wight butchers to buy for Christmas.

The market helps reinforce the important links between Island farmers and butchers to encourage the public to buy local.


News shared by Sian on behalf of IW Farmers. Ed