Characteristic products
The surrounding sea and countryside offer excellent fresh produce: fish, shellfish, dairy products, meat, fruit and vegetables. Famous Guernsey tomatoes (Guernsey Tom), tasty Jersey new potatoes (Jersey Royals - known as the equivalent of our Noirmoutiers across the Channel), zucchinis, celery, beans and onions. Pork and beef are popular, but the pride of the archipelago is Sark lamb.
The islands' waters, rich in plankton thanks to the Gulf Stream, nourish an abundance of flora and fauna. Many restaurants specialize in seafood and local fish: conger eel, lobster, crayfish, langoustines, monkfish, mussels, sole, mullet, sea bass or red mullet, crabs and all kinds of shellfish. Fish can also be preserved in salt, as in the case of dried cod ("d'la mouothue sècque").
Guernsey produces delicious oysters, not to be missed in autumn and winter, from September to April. The most sought-after mollusc is theormer or abalone. This very rare gourmet delicacy can be recognized by its very firm flesh and iridescent shell pierced by small holes. A harvesting program has been set up to ensure its survival, as the abalone suffers from overfishing in many parts of the world. The conger eel, also highly sought-after, can reach up to 2 m in length and resembles an enormous eel.
Milk from the Channel Islands, and Jersey in particular, is renowned for its richness. The high fat content gives butter and cream a golden color. It has to be said that cows are particularly pampered here: farmers are said to brush them with care and, at nightfall, cover them with a wool blanket. The island is self-sufficient in milk production. Butter, cream, ice creams and yoghurts are excellent eaten on their own or cooked.
The milk is even exported to Great Britain to make certain artisan cheeses. Goat's milk is also used to make cheeses, such as those from the Torteval creamery known for its full-flavored blue cheeses. Blackbutter ( or Nier beurre, in Jèrriais) is an almost black marmalade made from apples, lemons, licorice, cider and sugar. Despite its name, this recipe doesn't contain a single gram of butter.
Despite respectable agricultural production for an archipelago of just 118 km², much of our food is imported. However, local agriculture is sufficient in terms of milk and potatoes in particular. These two products are among the local pride and joy, and are highly reputed in the UK. The archipelago produces a wide variety of products, including fruit, vegetables, mushrooms, meat, fish and seafood, but these are threatened by imports.
To remedy this problem, the people of Jersey decided to create Genuine Jersey. Under this label (Product of Jersey), products from local farmers, fishermen and craftsmen are grouped together. To obtain such a label, however, a strict set of specifications must be met. At the same time, these Genuine Jersey products are promoted by the tourist office and the restaurants that use them.
Eating habits and catering
At breakfast, you can choose between a Full English Breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausage, white beans in tomato sauce, toast, etc.) and a classic continental breakfast. Lunch is generally light and eaten on the go. Dinner is eaten at English time, i.e. around 7pm, after a trip to the pub. Restaurants close early and often don't serve after 9:30pm. Dinner is hearty and often includes fish or meat, starchy foods and vegetables.
Cream tea is not to be missed. As with all the British, tea time is sacred in these islands. In the middle of the afternoon, make yourself comfortable in a café with a view of the sea, or in the lounge of a grand hotel. Order a cup of tea accompanied by cakes and pastries, such as the famous scones, soft and topped with jam and butter, or a bowl of strawberries or raspberries with local crème fraîche.
Despite the Channel Islands' small size, you'll find a wide range of restaurants, from the very simple to the very chic. Pubs open earlier and close later than restaurants, but are not open to minors, although children accompanied by their parents are generally welcome. True seafarers' pubs, some date back to the 16th century, with exposed beams, fireplaces and copper objects serving as decor. These places offer a wide choice of draught beers, cider, wine, spirits of all kinds and soft drinks, and of course food.
Classics of Anglo-Norman cuisine
The archipelago is home to many British cuisine basics, from fish and chips to more sophisticated menus. Not to mention a variety of simple recipes for fish, shellfish and simply poached crustaceans, as well as a multitude of restaurants serving foreign cuisine: French, Italian, Spanish, Indian or Chinese, for those who feel too much of a change of scenery.
Among the most famous local specialties is what could be the national dish: Bean Crock or Pais au fou. This stew contains beans, broad beans, pork belly, bacon, pig's trotters and sometimes beef, with onion, herbs and spices, simmered over a low heat for a long time. It used to be served for breakfast on Sundays. In Guernsey, it is still prepared every first Monday in July.
Another emblem of Anglo-Norman cuisine, the Guernsey Bean Jar, or enne jarraie d'haricaots, is a stew of beans and ham. Traditionally, it was cooked in earthenware pots overnight in the island's bakers' ovens, so that the dish could be eaten for breakfast the following day. Today, Bean Jar is rarely eaten for breakfast, but it's always popular for dinner. Islanders make conger soup and andgulle soup. It's the head and tail of the fish that give this typical Jersey dish its spicy flavor.
To accompany these numerous stews and soups, the locals prepare a surprising bread, the Jersey Cabbage Loaf or Pain Sus Eune Fielle De Chour, which is a loaf of bread rolled before cooking between two large cabbage leaves. This gives it a subtle hay taste. Alternatively, for a snack on the go, try the delicious crab sandwiches, seasoned with a hint of mayonnaise.
You'll also find a wide range of pastries and sweet breads. In addition to traditional English apple pie and scones, you can enjoy Guernsey gosh, a tasty raisin brioche halfway between a fruit loaf and a cake. Of English origin, hot cross buns are small spiced buns with dried fruit decorated with a cross in icing, traditionally prepared for Good Friday just before Easter.
Alternatively, savor Jersey Wonders, a kind of lightly twisted, barely sweet doughnut, unless you prefer a bourdélot, a pastry topped with a whole apple filled with butter, sugar and calvados. Gâche melée is a variety of Guernsey apple cake. Jersey cream fudge is a type of soft caramel, rich and melting, with a taste of apple orapple brandy. And don't forgetIrish coffee topped with cream.
Beers, ciders and wines
Beer is obviously very popular in pubs, and English beers often take pride of place. But you'll also find the classic foreign beers: Budweiser, Heineken, Guinness, Grolsch, etc. In good pubs, you'll find the best of English beers, often unobtainable and unknown in France. They include light ale , brown ale, old ale, dark stout and strong barley wine. Islanders still make their own beer in traditional breweries, which you can visit, such as Randalls Brewery, founded in 1868, which produces Breda, Patois and Cynful. Draught beer is pronounced draught.
Nestled just a stone's throw from Normandy, it's hardly surprising that the Channel Islands have made cider one of their emblems. Located in the Fauxquets valley, in the heart of the Guernsey countryside, the Meller family farm has established itself as the producer of the famous local cider, Rocquette. It has even been exported to England since the 16th century. In Jersey, apples and cider are celebrated in October during the "La Faîs'sie d'Cidre" festival. At The Elms (Saint Mary), you can watch cider being made, the famous black-butter and apple-based recipes being prepared. La Mare Vineyards also produces the famous Jersey Branchage cider and Jersey Apple Brandy Cream, a blend of cream and apple brandy. The term apple brandy actually refers to an amber apple brandy comparable to our calvados, produced here in Jersey.
The archipelago's mild climate is ideal for growing vines. However, while the winters are rarely cold, the cool summers prevent the grapes from ripening to full maturity, resulting in a wine of fairly average quality. The limited surface area and modest yield mean that local wine is above all a folkloric production, but one that has the merit of existing. Locals much prefer beer, and imported wines, particularly from France, are the mainstay.
