Postcard from Jersey
Never been there before? Here’s what it's got to offer (apart from potatoes)
I must confess Jersey had never been on my bucket list.
If you wanted that kind of scenery and wide open beaches, I reasoned, why not go to Cornwall? Or, for better weather, across to France or Spain?
It would certainly be cheaper and quicker - apart from the West Country traffic jams.
It’s not, as I’ll reveal below, the easiest place to get to but that adds to its charm and makes it less congested than holiday destinations on the mainland
However there was one major reason for accepting an invitation. A deep dive into Jersey Royals and I’m a hard core potato fan.
As I’m sure you know, Jersey Royals which are grown on the steep south-facing slopes or cotils are one of the earliest potato crops. (Jersey has its own words for all sort of things, even its own dialect Jèrriais)
Planted in January, harvested by hand 12 weeks later it’s a labour intensive enterprise, as I witnessed, standing in the blustery wind and rain in a rare departure from the island’s fabled sunny weather.
The ‘beans’ or crapauds* (yes, those are their words for the local inhabitants) are fiercely proud of their heritage having seen off aggressors from the Germans to the French with whom they seem to have a complicated relationship.
*Beans are named after a dish called the Jersey Bean Crock, which is similar in character to a cassoulet. Crapaud is the French word for toad which are apparently indigenous to the island though not, oddly, to neighbouring Guernsey.
Apparently 30 years ago it was still common to hear French spoken. Not these days though almost all the road names are still French
Many of the producers we met had lived there for generations. Despite the financial services which are copiously advertised as you exit the airpot this still basically a farming community.
We met cider makers more influenced by Normandy just across the water than the UK mainland and oyster growers (they’re not far from Brittany either).
Tea. Yes, surprisingly, tea is grown on Jersey and very good it was too.
And of course dairy (from Blanc Pignon farm). Jersey milk is famous though it’s more often converted into products with added value like butter (blissful on those Jersey Royals), yoghurt, ice cream and what they call ‘barbecue cheese’, their homegrown version of halloumi.
The Jersey herds are also used to supply beef though it rarely leaves the island and sells out within hours of emailing the mailing list according to Blanc Pignon’s owner David Leng.
We had some great food, most impressively an entire meal based on potatoes. (You can see from my match of the week how it went with the local vodka). The produce, not just the potatoes, is wonderfully fresh.
But the main attraction, along with the feeling you’ve slipped back a decade or three, is the scenery: the gentle rolling countryside and huge sandy beaches. Jersey apparently has the third biggest tidal range in the world which means that at low tide the island actually doubles in size.
Oh and we didn’t see one but the sunsets are supposed to be spectacular. La Corbière lighthouse is apparently the best place to watch them.
Where to stay and eat in Jersey