Our Team

Akshay Jamwal

Akshay brings three decades of entrepreneurial experience to his role as Project Leader with A Taste of Shetland.
He started in technology, building websites and computer systems for small businesses. He then pivoted to photography and creative services, with a focus on marketing and brand development. With over 20 years spent in that career, he's worked with several Fortune 500s like Disney and McKinsey.

But as a lifelong small business owner himself, his true passion is helping small brands grow, tell their story better, and connect with their customers. His tech background has always helped bridge any of those gaps, and he prides himself in addressing long-term business problems.
Having grown up on a farm in rural India, he also understands the unique challenges Shetland's food and drink sector faces.

Akshay has previously collaborated with A Taste of Shetland on event and brand photography. This work gave him a firsthand look at the exceptional quality behind Shetland's food and drink sector. As an avid cook and advocate for local produce, he's committed to helping producers and providers connect with the customers—and the opportunities—that their work deserves.

Rebekah Dalgleish

Rebekah Dalgleish was born and raised in Shetland, growing up in Muckle Roe. From a young age, she was immersed in the local food industry, working at Blueshell Mussels and Frankie’s Fish and Chips after school. These early experiences gave her a strong appreciation for the dedication and quality behind Shetland produce.

In 2014, Rebekah moved away to study at Edinburgh Napier University, where she went on to complete an MSc in International Marketing with Tourism & Events. She spent 11 years living and working between Edinburgh and Fife before relocating to the North East of England in 2025 with her husband and young son.

With a keen interest in tourism and a love of cooking, Rebekah is particularly excited to support and promote Shetland’s food and drink sector. Although she currently lives away from Shetland, she is delighted to maintain her strong Shetland connection and have even more reason to visit home more often. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors and photographing the occasional wedding.

Becky Robertson

Becky was born in Shetland in the early 80s, and after sometime spent living in Edinburgh and Turkey, returned to Shetland in 2006. She has a varied career with experience in a number of different industries, but most recently spent 13 years in youth and family support work. She joined the Taste of Shetland Team in August 2023.

Becky is keen cook and has become the face of our social media cooking demonstration reels, her easy recipes using locally sourced products have proved popular with followers from around the world and have showcased Shetland produce to a broad audience.

Away from the kitchen, Becky also works as a Learning Support Worker and is a mother of three. In her spare time, she is an artist; with a passion for paint and clay.

Marian Armitage

Marian Armitage is a native Shetlander who was educated at the Anderson High School then trained as a teacher of Domestic Science in Edinburgh in the early 70s. She taught Food and Nutrition in state secondary schools initially in Norwich then in Inner London, for almost 35 years.

In 2014 she wrote Shetland Food and Cooking published by The Shetland Times. Her book won the top prize in the Food Promotion category at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards held in Yantai, China in 2016. Her second book : ‘Food Made in Shetland’ was published by 60North publishing in 2022.

Marian became Chair of Shetland Food and Drink - the organisation she set up with Jill Franklin in 2017. Initial funding from Shetland LEADER, Shetland Islands Council and Highland and Islands Enterprise facilitated the launch of Shetland Food and Drink and Taste of Shetland in November 2017

Bo Simmons

Bo Simmons has been involved with the food industry since her arrival in Shetland in 1987.

A passionate advocate of high quality, sustainable food, she is the former owner of both Burrastow House and Olive Tree Cafe. A former teacher, she has also turned her hand to writing and published her own cookbook in 2003. She has also worked for Scoop and at Bonhoga Gallery for Shetland Arts and is a proud mother of two.

Bo is also an avid gardener and features in our Taste of Shetland short film Celebrating Shetland Fruit & Vegetables.

Mary Andreas

Mary worked within the Downstream Oil Industry in London for 25 years in various accounting roles before returning to her native Shetland in 2006.

A mother of two children, two step children and grandmother to four, she has run her 4* Bed and Breakfast in Bigton whilst working from home as an Operations Manager for a Lancashire based company providing Merchant Services to Petrol Stations across the UK. She has also been Chair of the Bigton Hall Committee since 2008

Steve Mathieson

Son of an Unstman who was working on the Thames for the Port of London Authority, Steve was born in London and attended Colfe’s Grammar School and Bulmershe College in Reading.

He worked in Algeria for several years, getting a taste for North African cuisine, before joining Tate and Lyle Sugars and training in marketing. He worked in the food industry for T&L for a number of years and carried on representing them when he moved to an advertising agency, gaining extensive experience of food media including the production of a series of TV ads starring chef Gary Rhodes.

He is now Shetland Development Manager for VisitScotland and was the 2023 Great Shetland Bake Off winner. He is passionate about food tourism and is keen to grow this market within Shetland.

Sam Laurenson

Sam Laurenson was born and raised in Shetland, growing up in Muckle Roe. After starting out at university studying architecture, he quickly realised that returning home to work was a better fit. In 2013 he joined the family mussel farm full time and has worked there ever since.

Through his day-to-day work, Sam has built wide-ranging, hands-on experience in mussel farming and a strong understanding of the realities of Shetland’s seafood sector. He is passionate about local seafood and about clearly telling the story of where Shetland food comes from, from sea to plate.

Outside of the farm, Sam is a keen home cook and has helped out in catering roles as a volunteer, including working in summer camp kitchens in Sumburgh and assisting with Cunningsburgh Show teas.