Genuine Jersey - Latest News

Local BCorp accredited business MasonBreese strengthens their commitment to supporting sustainable practices and local businesses

John Garton — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Local BCorp accredited business MasonBreese strengthens their commitment to supporting sustainable practices and local businesses

Having recently certified as a B Corp business, the highest standard of external certification of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) standards available to for-profit companies, local change and transformation experts MasonBreese have strengthened their commitment to supporting sustainable practices and local businesses by sponsoring the Genuine Jersey Artisans’ markets.

The Genuine Jersey markets take place throughout the summer from now until October at St Aubins; both inside and outside the Parish Hall, a full list of dates can be found on their website www.genuinejersey.je . The artisans’ markets feature local wares and all those sold by Genuine Jersey Members will have been grown, caught, reared or made locally.

Chris Nicol, Managing Director of MasonBreese added:

“Sponsoring the Genuine Jersey Artisans’ Markets is a great opportunity for MasonBreese, Genuine Jersey’s ethos and the role they play in supporting the local economy resonates with our values: supporting local businesses, the local community and the local economy.

Following our recent B Corp accreditation, sponsoring the Genuine Jersey Artisans’ markets felt like a natural fit and opportunity for us. Genuine Jersey is an exemplary organisation that not only makes it easier for islanders to make more sustainable choices with their purchases, but also promotes the craftsmanship and excellent produce that is home grown.”

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer, Genuine Jersey Products Association: “We are delighted to be welcoming MasonBreese onboard to support our Artisans’ Markets, it’s fantastic to be partnering with a business whose ethos aligns so well to that of our own. Our Artisans’ markets provide an invaluable opportunity for our Members to sell their goods directly to the public and shopping at local markets is a great opportunity to connect with the people behind the products.”

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About MasonBreese

MasonBreese are experts in change and transformation. We support and advise clients with strategic change programmes and digital, cultural and system integrations as well as business transformations. We invest heavily in our people to help us deliver creative change solutions. This makes us the consultant of choice for our clients.

We approach all aspects of change management with our dedicated team of advisors who possess both a broad spectrum of experience and extensive expertise in their chosen fields. We work collaboratively with your business as an independent extension to your management team, carefully considering the implications of change and transformation on your people and development goals.

Our people are important to us. We take an open approach and encourage our team to think differently to deliver long-term, sustainable results to boost the true potential of your business.

https://www.masonbreese.com/about-us/

Genuine Jersey's Spud-tacular Showdown Returns for 2024

John Garton — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT

The excitement is building this week as we kick off the latest edition of the Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal Potato Growing Competition, marking its eighteenth year. Sponsored by local fruit and vegetable wholesalers, Homefields, this annual event has evolved over the years and continues to thrive. Homefields play a crucial role by assembling and delivering hundreds of growing kits to all of our participants.

Once again our Parish Constables, local media, Occupation VIPs, and branches of The Women’s Institute will be growing alongside green-thumbed schoolchildren from all 33 Primary Schools. Together, they will compete to cultivate the heaviest crop of Jersey Royals and achieve the highest yield, two hotly contested categories.

Every competitor will receive a complimentary growing kit, comprising two Jersey Royal seed potatoes sourced from MasterFarms, along with soil donated by the Government of Jersey’s household green waste team. Emphasising environmental responsibility, participants are encouraged to reuse previous containers. A total of 327 growing kits will be dispatched by Homefields throughout the week commencing Monday, February 5th.

This competition serves as a delightful yet educational introduction for Primary school pupils to the cultivation of fresh, local produce, connecting them with Jersey's rich heritage. Simultaneously, it instils an understanding of the importance of healthy eating habits while offering the satisfaction of growing your own food.

John Garton, Chief Executive of Genuine Jersey Products Association, expressed his enthusiasm for this annual event, stating, “As we have spent the first month of the year watching our local farmers diligently plant their fields with Jersey Royal seed potatoes, we are gearing up to welcome a fresh cohort of competitors participating in the Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal Potato Growing Competition."

“The Jersey Royal remains a cornerstone of the island's exports, and the inclusivity of this event, involving people of all ages, exemplifies its brilliance. Come weigh-in day, we revel in witnessing the joy on every face of those who have dedicated 12 weeks to this competition as they unearth the fruits of their labours.”

Catherine Conway, Director of Homefields, shared her excitement, stating, “We're thrilled to play a significant role in this year’s competition. As the island’s largest independent wholesaler of fruit and vegetables, we take pride in supplying and distributing the growing packs, contributing to educating young minds about the significance of fresh, local produce and the island's agricultural heritage.”

Participating schools will weigh their potatoes on the same day, with results uploaded to a dedicated area on www.genuinejersey.je. The winners in each school category will receive their certificates on Thursday, May 16th, at St Lawrence Parish Hall, coinciding with the weighing in of media and Parish Constable’s entries.

Jersey chef to attend prestigious UK cheese show

John Garton — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Atlantic Hotel and Ocean Restaurant Executive Chef, Will Holland will be joining James Martin and a host of other celebrity chefs at the UK’s largest cheese show next week.

Held at the Staffordshire County Showground, Love Cheese Live combines a fantastic line up of the best chefs and experts cooking live, the finest dairy brands and carefully selected independent producers of the finest food, drink and culinary products from the UK.

Over 400 food producers will be in attendance with more than 5,000 entries from all four corners of the world, each bidding to win a prestigious International Cheese and Dairy Award.

Will Holland will be taking part in the live demonstrations, cooking some of his favourite cheese recipes and showcasing some of Jersey’s finest local dairy produce.

“I’ve been part of the Love Cheese Live Show and International Cheese Awards since 2012. It’s a highlight in my calendar each year and is a great opportunity to showcase how wonderful Jersey produce really is. It’s the largest cheese show in the world and is always a fun event.”

“This year I’ll be taking a little taste of Jersey with me including ‘Mooloumi’ cheese from Blanc Pignon dairy farm which I’ll be using in my ultimate summer salad along with Jersey Dairy milk and butter which I’ll use to create a stunning cheese and onion tart.”

Love Cheese Live takes place on the 30^th June and 1^st July. For more information about the show and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.lovecheeselive.co.uk/ .

The Results are in for the 2023 Growing Competition

John Garton — Thu, 18 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT

The doors of St Lawrence Parish Hall were opened this morning to welcome in this year’s competitors of the Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal potato growing competition, sponsored by Homefields. for the last in a week-long series of potato weigh-ins. Starting in late January, primary schools, media, the Women’s Institute, Connetables and for a second year, Occupation VIPs from each parish, have been nurturing their seed potatoes provided by the Le Maistre family of MasterFarms, in a bid for potato growing glory. This year their buckets were also filled with soil from Infrastructure, Housing and Environment’s green waste facility

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey, said: “It’s hard to believe that we’ve come to the end of another Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal potato growing competition, the last 12 weeks have flown by. We’ve had a busy week gathering the results from our competitors throughout the island and the final weigh in is always a fantastic opportunity to bring everyone together to see how both the media and Constables have fared as we dig their buckets in front of our other winners, this morning was particularly eventful with a very last minute arrival once the Constables winner had been announced. Once again though the Jersey Royal really is the winner!”

In the school’s competition, which involved all of the island’s primary schools, St Michael’s School Class 2B won the greatest weight with 1,532g and were joint winners for the 49 Jersey Royals they grew in their bucket, the same numbers as Grouville School Class 4K with 900g and 49 Jersey Royals, an incredible achievement.

For the second year running the Connetable of St Lawrence’s bucket yielded the greatest weight at 1020.2gms and they also scooped the greatest number of tubers at 33, making it a double victory for the Parish

This year’s media competition saw a very mixed bag of results, with some buckets not even making it to the weigh-in as they’d died before the big day and low numbers all round from those who did take part. After being crowned winners for the last two years sadly ITV’s bucket yielded zero potatoes this year but in a triumphant comeback the double victory went to Gallery Magazine with a winning weight of 137.9gms and 16 tubers.

This year we had 105 Occupation VIPs participating in the competition, with representatives in each parish participating. The winner of the greatest weight was Mr Alan Romerill Roffrey from St Mary with 1,470g (28 tubers) and three buckets from different parishes yielded 35 tubers each, Mrs Daphne Tingley, Eileen Palmer of St Lawrence and Mr Vincent of St Saviour were our joint winners.

Once again the efforts of the Women’s Institute were impressive and for a second year the heaviest crop was grown by Phyliss Gouédart of Le Hocq with 28 tubers weighing 1,134g but she was pipped to the post of the double win by Rose of St Martin’s WI Group who grew 30 tubers (295g) in her bucket.

With support from our sponsor Homefields the Genuine Jersey Products Association is already looking forward to next year.

Genuine Jersey Artisans’ Markets Resume this Weekend

John Garton — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Genuine Jersey Artisans’ Markets return to St Aubin this Saturday, 22 April, offering visitors and locals a variety of local crafts, produce and entertainment.

For the first time this year we are opening up the Parish Hall so will have stalls both inside and outside and stallholders will also be trading for an extra hour from 9am - 4pm.

The artisans’ markets, which are sponsored by insurance company Islands, will feature some of Jersey’s most talented producers, artists and craftspeople. This Saturday will see 30+ stallholders displaying their wares and all products being sold by Genuine Jersey Members will have been made, reared, grown or caught on island.

Genuine Jersey Chief Executive John Garton said: “The first of our Artisans’ markets is always a fantastic time, as we get to see so many of our Members in one place and discover what they’ve been working on throughout the last few months. This Saturday’s market is particularly exciting as it’s the first time we will have traders both inside and outside St Aubin’s Parish Hall, it means we have doubled our space and will have more than 30 traders selling their wares and we’ve also added an extra hour of trading so we’ll be open until 4pm.”

We have to thank Islands, who have kindly sponsored the markets again this year. Islands are a long-standing sponsor member of the Association and understand the importance of giving small local businesses a helping hand. I hope that everyone will embrace our local producers and support the local economy by paying a visit to the markets.”

A truly local competition, for local people.

John Garton — Tue, 07 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Local wholesalers Homefields have begun the mammoth task of delivering hundreds of growing kits to local primary schools to, once again, allow them to take part in the Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal Potato Growing Competition.

Each competitor receives a free growing kit consisting of two Jersey Royal seed potatoes, which have this year been sourced from MasterFarms, soil from Infrastructure, Housing and Environment’s green waste facility and fertiliser. In total 327 growing kits will be delivered by sponsors Homefields on Tuesday 7th February.

The annual competition provides Primary school pupils with a fun, but important, introduction to growing fresh, local produce and, of course, an opportunity to learn about Jersey’s heritage. They also learn about the importance of eating well as they experience the satisfaction of growing their own food.

John Garton, Chief Executive of Genuine Jersey Products Association, said: “This year sees us adding another layer of locality to our competition as rather than using compost shipped in we have worked with the Infrastructure, Housing and Environment team to source soil processed from their green waste facility. It’s fantastic to be including another one of our Genuine Jersey Members in the competition

The Jersey Royal continues to be one of the island's most important exports and we love to see the continued, in fact growing, interest in the competition year on year. It’s simply fantastic to see so many people of all ages enjoying the process of growing their own food. ”

Paul Conway, Director of Homefields said: “Last year was a real baptism of fire for us as we had to put together all of the kits and then deliver them to the competitors and we thoroughly enjoyed it and can’t wait to do it all again this year. For us, the feelings of excitement of being involved in a competition which allows young people to learn about the importance of fresh and local produce, and the island's agricultural heritage can’t be beaten.”

All schools taking part will weigh their own potatoes on the same day and send in their results, which will be uploaded to a dedicated area on www.genuinejersey.je. The winners in each of the schools categories will be presented with their certificates on Thursday 18th May at St Lawrence’s Parish Hall, where the weighing in of the media and Parish Constable’s entries will take place.

The Occupation VIPs are once again joining the green fingered school children from all 33 Primary Schools, Parish Constables, the local media and branches of The Women’s Institute to compete to grow the heaviest crop of Jersey Royals and to achieve the highest yield.

Not one, not two but three festive weekends…

John Garton — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT

We’re delighted to announce that this year, with kind permission of the Bailiff, we are bringing the Genuine Jersey Simply Christmas markets in St Helier’s historic Royal Square for THREE four-day weekends, to really kick off the festive season.

The Genuine Jersey Simply Christmas markets will bring you a labyrinth of stalls oozing with festive magic, beautiful gifts and tasty treats sold by more than 60 local artisans and producers.

Genuine Jersey Chief Executive John Garton said: “Being able to bring the Genuine Jersey Simply Christmas Markets back to the Royal Square last year was just incredible, so good that this year we’re going to be running over not just two, but three four-day weekends. We really hope that this is the start of a new tradition for the festive calendar. As with previous years there will be hot food, drinks, and a programme of live music and entertainment throughout the three weekends, making the markets the perfect place to buy unique gifts directly from the artisans who have created and produced them, while soaking up the atmosphere and embracing the festive cheer.

“Being able to extend over three weekends wouldn’t be possible for us without input from local businesses Signtech CI, Fetch.je and TEAM Asset Management, we simply wouldn’t be able to provide our Members with this fabulous platform to sell their goods if it wasn’t for them. A special thanks must also go to the Bailiff’s office and also the Soup Kitchen organisers who have worked together to allow us to take on the third weekend.”

The Markets will be open:-

Thursday 24 Nov, 1 & 8 Dec 10:00 - 20:00 (late night shopping in St Helier)

Friday 25 Nov, 2 Dec & 9 Dec 10:00 - 18:00

Saturday 26 Nov, 3 Dec & 10 10:00 - 18:00

Sunday 27 Nov, 6 Dec & 11 10:00 - 17:00

The Results are in for the 2022 Growing Competition

John Garton — Thu, 19 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Spirits were high during this morning’s Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal potato growing competition, sponsored by Homefields, weigh-in held at Grouville Parish Hall, the last in a week-long series of potato weigh-ins. In what has been one of the driest seasons for some time results were mixed with our first ever bucket recording no potatoes at all! Starting in late January, schools, media, the Women’s Institute, Connetables and this year for the first time Occupation VIPs from each parish, have been nurturing their seed potatoes provided by the Le Maistre family of MasterFarms, in a bid for potato growing glory.

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey, said: “It’s been a busy week visiting not only the Women’s Institute but also every parish on the island to meet with the Occupation VIPs to find out the winner from each parish. Bringing everyone together this morning to see the results of the constables and media participants' efforts always brings a new energy to the competition as we get to see first hand the joy that everyone has found in growing their potatoes. The Jersey Royal really is the star of the show!”

In the school’s competition, which involved all of the island’s primary schools, St John Year 3c won the heaviest crop award, 1,177gms. Year three at Grouville School Primary won the schools’ most tubers competition with 45.

The Connetable of St Lawrence’s bucket yielded the greatest weight at 1,465.5g whilst St Martin grew the greatest number of tubers at 34.

In the media competition, Sophie Dulson at Channel ITV won both the heaviest crop award with her 635.6g and the most tubers, yielding 33 potatoes. It may well be cruel of us to highlight those who forgot to plant their seed potatoes, but they know who they are and we’re sure they’ll be back fighting for the crown next year.

None of the results compared to the efforts of the Women’s Institute which was won by Phyliss Gouédart of Le Hocq (pictured) with 41 tubers at a weight of 1,877.7gms.

With support from our sponsor Homefields the Genuine Jersey Products Association is set to bring bite sized buckets of Jersey farming to the attention of Islanders once again, for the competition's 17^th year in January 2023.

John said: “It was fantastic to add in the Occupation VIPs to this year’s competition, further increasing the number of people getting involved in the competition, we can’t wait to see where it goes next year. Jersey farming and the Jersey Royal are quintessential to Island life and the potato growing competition remains a fantastic opportunity to celebrate this.”

Genuine Jersey Markets Resume this Month

John Garton — Thu, 07 Apr 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Genuine Jersey’s monthly Artisan Markets, sponsored by Islands’ return to St Aubin on Saturday 23 April, offering visitors and locals a variety of local crafts, produce and entertainment in front of the Parish Hall.

The artisans’ markets, which are made possible thanks to the support provided by local insurance company Islands, will feature some of Jersey’s most talented producers, artists and craftspeople displaying their wares, all of which are created by them.

Genuine Jersey Chief Executive John Garton said: “Our monthly markets are always a highlight in our Summer calendar. They not only bring our Members together but they also offer locals and visitors alike the chance to meet the makers behind the products they’re buying. The six markets we have planned this year wouldn’t be possible without the support of Islands’, who have once again worked with us to bring the markets to life.”

Islands have been supporting Genuine Jersey members with tailored insurance cover since 2009, ensuring members can obtain the public liability insurance necessary to host a stall at markets and craft fairs at the lowest rate.

Visitors to the market can browse the stalls of local produce, buy fresh local fish and seafood from Jade-S Fisheries and enjoy music being played by a variety of local musicians. The markets will be held every month throughout the summer in St Aubin.

Genuine Jersey Markets - St Aubin

Start 9 am. End 3 pm

23 April, 21 May, 18 June, 23 July, 20 August, 17 September.

Ready, Set, Grow...

John Garton — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 15:00:00 GMT

The countdown is on to the start of this year’s Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal Potato Growing Competition, which launches this week. The annual event is now in its sixteenth year and for the first time we will be working with local fruit and vegetable wholesalers Homefields who are sponsoring the growing competition by putting together and delivering the hundreds of growing kits for all competitors.

The number of competitors has blossomed again, as this year Occupation VIPs are being invited to join the green fingered school children from all 33 Primary Schools, Parish Constables, the local media and branches of The Women’s Institute to compete to grow the heaviest crop of Jersey Royals and to achieve the highest yield.

Each competitor receives a free growing kit consisting of two Jersey Royal seed potatoes, which have this year been sourced from MasterFarms, compost and fertiliser. In an effort to reduce plastic competitors are being encouraged to reuse containers to grow their potatoes. In total 327 growing kits are being delivered by Homefields on Tuesday 8th February.

The competition provides Primary school pupils with a fun but important introduction to growing fresh, local produce and Jersey’s heritage whilst learning about the importance of eating well as they experience the satisfaction of growing their own food.

John Garton, Chief Executive of Genuine Jersey Products Association, said: “I love this time of year. As the local farmers have been busy planting their fields with Jersey Royal seed potatoes for the coming season, we are getting ready to welcome a whole new crop of competitors who’ll take part in the Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal Potato Growing Competition.

The Jersey Royal continues to be one of the island's most important exports and the fact that people of all ages can enjoy the process of learning, growing and eating them is what makes this community event so brilliant. Come weigh in day we love to witness the delight on each and every face of all of those who have taken part during the 12 weeks as they see the fruits of their labours unearthed before them.”

Catherine Conway, Homefields said: “We’re excited to be so heavily involved in this year’s competition. As the island’s largest independent wholesaler of fruit and vegetables we’re delighted to be supplying and distributing the growing packs which will help to educate young people about the importance of fresh and local produce, and the island's agricultural heritage.”

All schools taking part will weigh their own potatoes on the same day and send in their results, which will be uploaded to a dedicated area on www.genuinejersey.je. The winners in each of the schools categories will be presented with their certificates on Thursday 19th May at Grouville Parish Hall, where the weighing in of the media and Parish Constable’s entries will take place.

Jersey Shellfish Campaign Launched

John Garton — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Today marks the start of the ‘Buy Jersey Shellfish’ campaign aimed at encouraging islanders and visitors to buy locally caught shellfish to help support our local fishing fleet.

The campaign has been developed using the results of recently conducted market research, aimed at discovering the consumer's decision making process when buying, eating and cooking local shellfish.

John Garton, Chief Executive of Genuine Jersey said ‘We were really pleased with the response to the market research conducted by local company 4Insight. They achieved 1,479 data sets from 1,582 responses which has allowed us to get a really good understanding of how consumers currently feel about local shellfish, which has helped us to shape the campaign aimed at supporting our local fishing fleet.’

All 55 members of the Jersey Fishermen’s Association are members of Genuine Jersey which allows them to use the mark on their locally caught fish and shellfish.

Don Thompson, Chairman of the Jersey Fishermen’s Association said ‘We saw many islanders rediscover their love of local fish and shellfish last year during lockdown, which saw local sales increase. This campaign hopes to recapture that enthusiasm to buy locally caught shellfish, which makes up 90% of the catch that we land, so that both the public and our fishing fleet can benefit.’

Over the coming weeks islanders will be introduced to local fishers, be shown interesting ways to use shellfish, and taught how to prepare and eat what they buy and where they can buy it from.

Welcoming our first Genuine Jersey Patron

John Garton — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT

We’re delighted to announce that Smith and Williamson, local providers international tax, financial planning and investment management services, have become the association's first Patron.

Launched last year the Genuine Jersey Patronage scheme invites like minded individuals or local businesses to support home-grown talent by becoming a Patron, giving financial assistance to enable the association to give more support to its Members. Smith and Williamson’s Patronage has allowed us to work with a local production company to produce a series of video profiles of our members, which will allow viewers to really get to know the people behind the locally produced goods and services.

John Garton, Chief Executive of Genuine Jersey Products Association, said: “I’m delighted to be welcoming Smith and Williamson onboard as the association’s first Patron. Their contribution will help us continue to raise awareness of locally produced goods and support all those involved in their production from craft workers to artists and farmers to fishermen.”

Matt Falla, Managing Director Smith and Williamson, Jersey said “We are delighted to break new ground with Genuine Jersey in becoming their inaugural Patron. We looking forward to supporting the Association and their Members in their continued growth with all the Business and Wealth Services that Smith and Williamson has to offer”

The Association is funded by Members, sponsors and the Government of Jersey – all funds are used to support Members and for the benefit of the community.

The Results are in for the 2021 Growing Competition

John Garton — Thu, 20 May 2021 11:00:00 GMT

The results of the 2021 Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal potato growing competition sponsored by The Channel Islands Co-operative Society, in what has been one of the driest growing periods in some time, are in.

Spirits were high during the in person weigh in at St Clement’s Parish Hall, where excellent yields were achieved. Starting in late January, Primary Schools, local media, the Women’s Institute and the Connetables have been nurturing their seed potatoes provided by The Jersey Royal Company, in a bid for potato growing glory.

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many people in person for this year’s weigh-in after last year’s virtual meeting. It's great to once again be able to see the sense of pride from all competitors. It doesn’t matter if a bucket has five or 55 Jersey Royals in it, it is clear to see that entrants have found joy in growing their potatoes and are always excited to see what the next bucket reveals. The Jersey Royal really is the star of the show!”

In the school’s competition, which involved all 33 primary schools, St John’s School won the heaviest crop award, with Year 3 coming in at a respectable 1,271g. Runners up were Year 5 HO at Grouville School with 1,180g. Year 2G at Grouville Primary won the schools’ most tubers competition with 62, closely followed by runner up Helvetia House Year 1 with 57.

This year, thanks to Jess McGovern of Cultivate, we also had entries from JCG Secondary School with pupil Sally Welburn winning both categories of weight and yield with her 27 Jersey Royals weighing in at 257g.

Grouville’s Connétable, John Le Maistre had the heaviest crop at 1,371.5g while St Martin Connétable Mrs Karen Shenton Stone yielded the most tubers with 31 Jersey Royals in their bucket.

In the media competition, Channel TV’s Becky Lancashire won the heaviest crop award at 1,282.3g and James Jeune of the JEP came in on top with the most tubers, yielding 38 Jersey Royals.

The winners in this year’s Women’s Institute competition were split between a whopping weight of 1953.8g from Anne Perchard of St Martin and the collective efforts of the St Aubin and St Peter’s branch yielding the most tubers with 43 Jersey Royals in their bucket.

This year, the competition received great take up across the board and welcomed the addition of more than 400 Scouts who are set to harvest their crops in the next few weeks.

The Genuine Jersey Products Association are already looking forward to bringing bite sized buckets of Jersey farming to the attention of Islanders once again, for the competition's 16^th year in January 2022.

John said: “It is fantastic to see more and more people get involved with the competition each year and I am keen to see how the event will progress for 2022. Jersey farming and the Jersey Royal are quintessential to Island life and the potato growing competition remains a fantastic opportunity to celebrate this.”

Islands, Genuine Jersey Markets Resume this Weekend

John Garton — Thu, 13 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Islands’ Genuine Jersey Markets return to St Aubin this Saturday, 15 May, offering visitors and locals a variety of local crafts, produce and entertainment.

The artisans’ markets, which are sponsored by insurance company Islands, will feature some of Jersey’s most talented producers, artists and craftspeople. This Saturday will see 18 stallholders displaying their wares, many of which are handmade and homemade. All Public Health safety precautions have been taken into consideration so people will have plenty of space to browse.

In St Aubin this weekend, visitors to the market can browse beautiful handmade paper from Rocque Paper Scissors, jams and chutneys from Lilly & Gorse and The Chilli Kitchen and pottery from The Pottery Shed, to name just a few and you’ll also be able buy fresh local fish and seafood from Jade-S Fisheries. Musical entertainment will be provided by Terri Oliver and then Nic Dinnie.

In addition we will also be adding in a new location for our artisans' markets, at Homefields, St Clement outside the popular Homefields Farm Shop which will boost our offering to every other week on the calendar throughout the summer.

Genuine Jersey Chief Executive John Garton said: “We are delighted that after such a long pause we are able to bring our artisans together again, for what is one of our favourite events in the Genuine Jersey Members calendar. This Saturday’s market will see some new members featuring for the first time and also many familiar faces, we can’t wait to see what they’ve all been working on.

“We are thrilled that Islands have kindly sponsored these markets again this year and thanks to theirs, and Paul and Catherine Conway at Homefields, support we’ve been able to add a new location too. Islands are a long-standing sponsor member of the Association and understand the importance of giving small local businesses a helping hand. I hope that everyone will embrace our local producers and support the local economy by paying a visit to these markets.”

The markets will be held bi-monthly throughout the summer in St Aubin and Homefields:

Islands ‘Genuine Jersey’ Markets - St Aubin

Start 9 am. End from 3 pm

15 May, 19 June, 17 July, 21 August, 18 September.

Islands ‘Genuine Jersey’ Markets - Homefields, St Clement

Start 9 am. End from 3 pm

29 May, 3 July, 31 July, 4 September, 2 October.

Royal competitors under starters orders

John Garton — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT

The hotly anticipated annual Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal Potato Growing Competition launches this month. The event, which is sponsored by The Channel Islands Co-operative Society, sees green fingered school children from all 33 Primary Schools, constables, the local media and branches of The Women’s Institute compete to grow the heaviest crop of Jersey Royals and to achieve the highest yield.

Each competitor receives a free growing kit consisting of two Jersey Royal seed potatoes, compost and fertiliser. In an effort to reduce plastic competitors are being encouraged to reuse containers to grow their potatoes. In total 327 growing kits will be delivered by local wholesalers Homefields on Tuesday 9th February.

The competition enables Primary school pupils to learn about the importance of eating well and experience the pleasure of growing their own food, as well as educating them about fresh, local produce and Jersey’s heritage. This year, due to current covid restrictions, all schools taking part are being asked to weigh their own potatoes on the same day and send in their results, which will be uploaded to a dedicated area on www.genuinejersey.je. The winners in each of the schools categories will be presented with their certificates on Thursday 20th May at St Clement Parish Hall, where the weighing in of the media and Parish Constable’s entries will take place.

Those taking part are being encouraged to document the journey of their crop by posting photos of them on social media and using the #MyJerseyRoyals so everyone can follow their progress ahead of judgement day on Tuesday 18th May.

John Garton, Chief Executive of Genuine Jersey Products Association, said: “This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal Potato Growing Competition. Each year more than 7,000 Primary school children in Jersey take part and get to experience first hand the satisfaction of watching something they have planted grow, which is incredibly rewarding.

“The Jersey Royal remains one of the islands most important exports and the fact that people of all ages can enjoy the process of learning, growing and eating them is what makes this community event so fantastic and we love to see how involved people get each year.”

Mark Cox, chief executive officer Channel Islands Cooperative Society said: “We look forward to the Genuine Jersey Royal Potato Growing competition every year. Being involved in a campaign which highlights our unique produce, as well as the local producers who help to supply our stores, is particularly important. We are proud to work alongside Genuine Jersey in supporting this initiative that not only educates islanders about our Jersey Royal, but helps raise awareness of our island’s important agricultural heritage.”

The florist hoping business will start blooming

John Garton — Thu, 26 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Celebrated local events and wedding florist Clara Barthorp has expanded her business following the impact of the recent pandemic, as she opens her first store in the heart of St Helier. Wilde Thyme will become more than just a florist with Clara focusing on creating a hub of ethical produce, stocking many local brands and those that aim to give back more to communities around the globe.

90% of Wild Thyme’s income vanished following the restrictions imposed on the island, leading to less events taking place and few bookings coming through for 2021.

Clara said: “I have wanted to launch this type of store for some time now, but the pandemic has really forced my hand as the business needed to evolve to stay afloat. I want the store to be a celebration of local talent, from the range of locally grown flowers on offer to all those Jersey small businesses whose products we will be stocking.

“With an emphasis on sustainable and ethical approaches I am proud to say that you won’t find a piece of plastic within the store or on the packaging for my flowers. I hope that people will find the space as beautiful and inspiring as I do and turn out in force to support local.”

Wild Thyme will be stocking fellow Genuine Jersey members including Jersey Sea Salt, and Manomara skin care. The new store will also see the partnership with Elise Stubbs of Forge Farm expand as she looks to grow more flowers locally to be sold at Wilde Thymes.

Clara said: “This year we’ve had to really look at what we can source locally, which has given myself and Elise the push we needed to grow and use more local flowers in our arrangements. We hope that out of this troubling time better things will start to grow.”

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey said: “It is wonderful to see our members establish physical stores in what has been a challenging year for all, bringing some fresh life and variety to St Helier. We offer Wilde Thyme our full support and the Association will be ensuring we do all we can to help businesses such as Clara’s survive these hard times.”

Wild Thyme can be found on Burrard Street where it will be hosting winter wreath workshops, selling floral arrangements and offering a wide range of home and Christmas décor.

Harbour Gallery to host a Genuine Jersey Christmas

John Garton — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT

The Harbour Gallery will open its eight-week Christmas exhibition this weekend, featuring the arts and crafts of local Genuine Jersey artisans. The event will see more than 100 artisans exhibit their work, with more than 40 Genuine Jersey members, the largest celebration of local talent the Gallery has ever welcomed.

The event aims to deliver the spirit of Christmas to shoppers following news that the annual Genuine Jersey Simply Christmas markets will not be able to take place this year due to Covid-19 restrictions. There are, however, still plenty of opportunities for shoppers to purchase local gifts from Genuine Jersey members around the island.

Pat Robson of the Harbour Gallery said: “The Gallery has received a terrific amount of support from the public and following the distribution of the ecard vouchers and we want this momentum to continue into the Christmas season to support our local artists. We are starting this exhibition early to allow shoppers ample time to start their Christmas shopping and to help the small businesses who have been impacted by the pandemic.”

The Gallery will be hosting late night shopping events and will be extending its opening hours to seven days a week in the month of December. A gazebo will be erected to allow shoppers to wait undercover to enter the Gallery with necessary precautions being taken to ensure people’s health and safety.

Artists including Rosemary Blackmore, Woodshed Living, Victoria Liddell, Laura Smilie, Lauren Radley, Abi Overland and Seymour Ceramics can be found on display with new products being added on a weekly basis. The Harbour Gallery is a registered charity committed to supporting Jersey’s up and coming artists and providing art education for all ages. It is the island’s largest art and craft gallery.

Genuine Jersey gifts can also be found for sale at Creative Cottage in St Peters, at the Small Business Pop ups in Liberty Wharf, in King Street as part of Genuine Jersey Fridays and by searching the ‘online’ section of the Genuine Jersey website.

Goat farms deliver award-winning Great Taste

John Garton — Wed, 07 Oct 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Genuine Jersey members Douet Farm and Jerriaise d’Or have been successful at the 2020 Great Taste Awards, with their goat’s milk products recognised as part of the world’s largest and most trusted food and drinks event. Douet Farm’s goat’s milk and cheese both received a one-star rating with Jerriaise d’Or’s mature cheese picking up a two-star rating for the second year in a row.

The island’s local produce was recognised out of over 12,777 products sent to the Awards from over 100 different countries. The competition judges not on the size of businesses, packaging or marketing, but purely on the superior taste produce delivers.

Jerriaise d’Or’s speciality aged cheese named ‘Fluffy Fuhkar’ was deemed to be ‘above and beyond delicious’ with judges remarking: “A beautifully presented individual ash-coated goats' cheese with a lovely soft and creamy paste. The sweetness was well balanced with the lactic acid notes and salt levels. The aroma was fresh, grassy and goaty.” The cheese is putting Jersey firmly on the culinary map, having also scooped a Super Gold Award at the World Cheese Awards in 2019.

Tim Le Cornu, who owns the Jerriaise d’Or farm with partner Marianne Shaw, said: “We are delighted that we have been awarded a two-star Great Taste award for the second year running and especially since this is our first award as the new owners. The quality of our product remains our utmost priority and we can't wait to further improve on our cheeses and increasing our production in 2021.”

These were the first awards for Douet Farm’s goat’s milk and cheese, having both been awarded a Great Taste gold star rating in their first year on sale. Judges found the goat’s milk to be a “very creamy and clean looking milk, with a very subtle meadow aroma. Full of flavour with a rich and indulgent creamy texture.” The farm’s fresh cheese was described as “creamy and versatile” with a distinct “meadowy” flavour, “a cheese that would be great in salads, would add a fresh vibrant note and would crumble well.”

Louise Agnès, owner of Douet Farm which has only been producing goat’s milk and cheese for a year, said: “We are delighted to have both of our products recognised in these very prestigious awards, during our first year of production. Our customers love what we’re doing, and so do our restaurants, which is a great start!”

The award-winning Fluffy Fuhkar can be purchased from Relish Delicatessen, the La Robeline Cider van at Vinchelez Farm or sampled as part of the Bass and Lobster’s gourmet menu. Douet Farm products are available for purchase online at www.douetfarm.com, from all farm shops, independent retailers and the island’s Co-op stores.

Buy local and make your pound go around and around

John Garton — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Genuine Jersey is encouraging every islander to think carefully before deciding where to spend their £100 ecard voucher, reminding them that investing in local produce could potentially double its value within the Jersey economy.

The ‘local multiplier effect’ estimates that every £1 spent on produce grown and sold within Jersey could be worth anywhere between £1.83 and £2.50 to the economy, making our money work harder and recirculating within Jersey. In some instances, research has even suggested that shopping local could have a x3 multiplying effect making a £100 investment worth £300 to local businesses and islanders.

The economic concept is also known as ‘sticky money’ since it causes cash to stay in the economy for substantial periods of time, supporting local people instead of shareholders.

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey, said: “Now is the time when everybody has it within their power to help the economy recover and to support local businesses in their own small way. We have spoken at some length previously about the many benefits of buying local, but I think these figures really help bring it home how much positive impact we could have as a community if we all make the effort to search out local when we shop.

“For every local producer, there will be local people employed and food supplied to local restaurants or cafes. These businesses are supporting local tourism and ensuring that the land on which our food is grown is looked after and well maintained for the benefit of future generations. Our money spent wisely could help support jobs, employers and generate taxable revenue. We would ask that everyone looks for our distinctive mark to ensure that you are buying local produce and help keep this money on island for as long as possible.”

The Genuine Jersey association is home to many local growers and farmers and is a firm advocate of quality Jersey produce. To explore the full list of local members and where their produce can be bought please head to www.genuinejersey.je.

Get more for your money when you buy local

John Garton — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Genuine Jersey members are offering people the chance to get more for their money with a raft of special offers in conjunction with the Government issued £100 ecard voucher.

Many of the community’s members will be offering a discount off their produce, crafts and artwork when using the Government voucher including Crafty Quilters, Shelia Birch Photography and La Crete Shellfish. Susan Lintell is promoting her painted pet portraits at a price of £100 instead of the usual £150, while Beverly Speck will be offering any twelve items from her collection of textile gifts and home decorations for a special price of £100.

Katherine Cadin will be giving away one of her hand painted brooches with any purchase using the ecard, offering free gift wrapping in addition. Jersey Oak will be giving customers £125 credit when spending the full voucher within their businesses, purchases can be made on any item in the new furniture and interiors showroom.

John Garton, Executive Director of Genuine Jersey said: “We will be doing all that we can over the next few months to encourage people to support our members and their small local businesses, not only helping them out during this difficult time, but also to keep money circulating in our economy for longer. Some of our larger markets have had to be postponed, but that shouldn’t stop people searching out local gifts and produce from all our talented artisan members.”

Members including Sue’s Fudge, Lauren Radley, Claire Haithwaite Ceramics, The Chilli Kitchen and Lisa Le Brocq will be presenting their wares at the ‘Small Business Pop-Up’ taking place on 17-19 September and 1-3 October at Liberty Wharf Shopping Centre. For further details on where to find members visit www.genuinejersey.je or follow Genuine Jersey’s social media for further details of offers.

Savour local menus this autumn

John Garton — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Jersey Hospitality Association and Genuine Jersey have teamed up with the Appetite Eating Guide to launch ‘Savour’ festival, allowing islanders to enjoy a feast of local food at affordable prices. The festival will provide a platform of fixed price, seasonal local menus at special offer prices available only in October.

Savour Festival will focus on promoting locally used ingredients encouraging more people to dine out to support local businesses.

Ben Davies, Publisher of Appetite said: “Savour has been a project we have been considering for some time, but now seemed like the perfect time to launch in order to support the hospitality industry. Without a publication this year, it’s great to put our time and energy into something that positively contributes. We want to see as many restaurants as possible join, celebrating local culinary talent, promoting great value menus, but without any costs to them. The platform will offer the ability to add a menu that offers quality without compromise, utilising local ingredients. We hope that as a community we can come together to create a locally-based food festival. The event not only helps local businesses who have suffered as a result of the pandemic but also gives people a chance to dine out and enjoy our local cuisine, plus win a meal here and there too!”

Simon Soar, Chief Executive Officer of The Jersey Hospitality Association, said: “It’s been a challenging season for the hospitality industry, so we are delighted to be working with Appetite to give everyone a reason to celebrate our fine restaurants this October. This festival should reassure people that it is perfectly safe to eat out, whilst delivering the very best our chefs have to offer at the best prices possible.”

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the very best of what our island has through the seasonal produce on offer and the talent our local chefs bring to the table. Through the Savour platform you will be able to identify which menus contain local produce and we are working hard to encourage more restaurants to use the Genuine Jersey mark so that you can easily identity local provenance. Encouraging islanders to invest in local businesses will make their money work harder and keep it circulating in our economy for much longer.”

The festival will start on 1^st October with Appetite offering the opportunity to win a tab of £500 at a restaurant of your choice with more giveaways during the event. To register for more details and your chance to win the prize, or register your restaurant please visit www.appetite.je.

Jersey Oak to put down roots in St Helier

John Garton — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Jersey Oak will be unveiling its new Seale Street showroom this Thursday, as the home interiors store moves to just an acorn’s throw from Sand Street carpark.

The move is positive news for the town centre as the store takes up the lease in the former Troy’s building on the corner of Seaton Place and Seale Street, hoping to attract more customers to purchase furniture, home accessories, gifts and much more. Owner Simon Bellwood said: “Having a town location was always something we hoped to achieve for the business and now is the perfect opportunity to make this move. Our new showroom is something of an Aladdin’s cave and I think many will be surprised at the size and transformation of the site – it’s not just oak at Jersey Oak.”

While maintaining an online retail presence, Simon says a physical storefront is still very important for his business model. “Our carefully selected furniture, home accessories and our bespoke crafted items need to be seen, and at times touched, to be truly appreciated. We also offer free, face-to-face design consultations for bespoke products, which includes private parking right outside the showroom.”

Simon is also excited to be unveiling a new, in-store laser engraving machine, allowing customers to collect their personalised gifts on the same day of purchase, and even watch the machine in action.

The store will be a celebration of furniture and home accessories, local talent and craftsmanship, including artwork and crafts from fellow Genuine Jersey members and with plans to have the exterior transformed with a beautiful mural from the talented and local artist BOKRA.

Simon Crowcroft, Constable of St Helier, said: “The Parish is delighted to welcome Jersey Oak’s showroom to St Helier. This is a fantastic showcase for a whole range of Genuine Jersey crafts and local products. This innovative venture in the heart of St Helier really does demonstrate the amazing range of creative skills in our local community, available for everyone to come and see right here in the heart of our town.”

Jersey Oak is over 13 years old and has grown from a sustainable furniture provider to now offering a broad range of interior products and services, furniture designs, fixtures and fittings and home accessories. It will also be accepting payment through the £100 ecard vouchers due to be distributed to islanders in September, as well as offering these customers an additional £25 credit, giving a spend of £125 in the showroom.

Hopes to make Jersey Local Food Challenge viral

John Garton — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT

The Jersey Local Food Challenge, which returns for its third year at the end of August, will be asking challengers to get snappy – sharing photos of their local produce meals to inspire and encourage more of us to buy and eat local.

The Coronavirus pandemic has thwarted plans organiser Bethan Watkins had for making the event bigger and better this year which included a local food fair, but she believes these circumstances have encouraged more people to embrace produce available on the island in order to support small businesses and the local economy.

The Challenge, which aims to educate people on how easy it is to make small changes to eat more sustainably, asks participants to swap as many of their food items as they can to locally grown and produced products, sharing photos and using the hashtag #jerseylocalfoodchallenge.

Bethan said: “Recent support for the movement has been fantastic and I hope to be able to show people the many benefits that are derived from food with a lower carbon footprint. I will be sharing tips, information and inspiration to help participants create varied meals, showing them that buying locally is much more achievable than people think.”

During lockdown Bethan continued her campaign to highlight buying local produce by creating the website ‘Hedge Veg’ with the help of Nexus Technology as tech supporters of the movement. The mapping website provides information on where islanders can purchase fresh and local produce from roadside stalls, farm shops and larger retail outlets.

Bethan said: “I am looking to combine the Hedge Veg venture with the Jersey Local Food Challenge since it is all part of a larger picture of changing our shopping and eating habits. By inviting challengers to post their meals and share their journey on our social platforms we should also be able to get an idea of how many are participating and if consumers’ habits are changing.”

The Jersey Local Food Challenge will run from 24^th – 30^th August. For more information on how you can take part visit www.jerseylocalfoodchallenge.weebly.com.

Award-winning baker amongst new Genuine Jersey members

John Garton — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Genuine Jersey has announced yet more additions to its growing community of local producers, makers and artisans which includes an award-winning cake baker, a driftwood artist and an animal lover with an artistic eye.

Harriet Docker is new to the island, bringing with her the award-winning Little Loaves business which delivers delicious cakes perfectly portioned for one person. Harriet’s little loaves save on wastage and packaging and are made using the freshest Jersey ingredients available. The talented trained patisserie chef said: “When I was a visitor to the island I always searched out the Genuine Jersey hallmark as I like to shop local. Having now moved here it was important that my cakes also bore this symbol as a sign that they have been through stringent checks and are of local provenance. I’m excited to see how the island will influence my flavours and cake designs.”

David Le Boutillier is enjoying his retirement as an art teacher through setting up a small craft business called Shoreline Reflections. David collects and recycles beach driftwood, sometimes adding oil painting decoration, into unique and beautiful artefacts. Find wall hangings and sculptures amongst his collection each with its own Jersey twist. His work is available online or at his small home gallery in St Brelade.

Rocque Paper Scissors is an online store created last year by Kat Read that offers personalised paper cut prints and gifts. The venture was born from a desire to support animal protection efforts with 10% of sales going towards conservation charities. Kat’s most popular gift is paper cut paw prints inspired by her walks on Jersey’s coastlines. Being environmentally conscious, Kat ensures that sustainable and recycled materials are used whenever possible in her designs. She said: “I am really proud to become a Genuine Jersey member and part of the culture, taste and tapestry of the island.”

Genuine Jersey Chief Executive Officer John Garton said: “It’s really encouraging during these difficult past few months to be able to welcome new members to the Genuine Jersey community. With there being such a drive towards buying local I am hopeful that our new members will build on their current success and with our help reach their business goals.” The Islands Genuine Jersey markets are being held on Saturday at St Aubin where a range of members will be exhibiting their goods and produce for sale.

Genuine Jersey Continues to Grow

John Garton — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Four local producers and a Jersey potter are the latest members to join the growing ranks of the Genuine Jersey Products Association (GJPA).The new businesses to join are Fungi Delecti, Happy Hens, Jersey Oyster Company, Jersey Turbot and The Pottery at Belvedere Terrace. The five new members were agreed at a committee meeting of the GJPA last week and brings the number of existing members to 38.

The Jersey Oyster Company has been run for the past six years by mixed farmer Stephen Luce and fisherman Christopher Le Masurier. Last year the company exported over 360 tonnes of oysters to France, of which 35 tonnes were branded as Jersey exports and are being sold in the major French supermarket chains Carrefour and Casino. The company, which also sells Jersey Royals in France, has worked with Jersey Tourism to produce a special leaflet explaining the farming history of Jersey which was included in every box of potatoes and branded oysters.

General manager Lorianne Norman says: “Our branded Jersey export trade to France is growing as more people become aware of the freshness and high quality of our produce. In addition to the oyster trade we also supply over 100 tonnes of mussels to Jersey suppliers and deliver fresh produce daily to the fish market”.

Last week the company began harvesting its Bouchot Mussels which are grown from seed on wooden poles in the Royal Bay of Grouville. The company farms sixteen hectares and by the end of this year hopes to have 3,000 poles on the beach which should yield 40 kilos of mussels each. The company is working closely with local pubs, fish merchants and restaurants to run a special marketing campaign to promote the Bouchot Mussels.

Bob Milner, who runs Happy Hens, is the only major producer of free range eggs in the Island. The retired dental surgeon started the business three years ago and has seen it grow by 700 percent. The company supplies the Co-op and Le Riche groups as well as farm shops, hotels and restaurants.

Bob says: “There is huge demand to buy local produce and Genuine Jersey will give me the opportunity to sell Happy Hens eggs at farmers markets and events and raise awareness of the brand”.

This year the farm in Grouville began growing strawberries and next year Bob plans to plant a small crop of Asparagus.

Fungi Delecti in Les Platons is another new member. The company started ten years ago after it carried out special trials in conjunction with Plymouth University to see if shitake mushrooms could be grown locally using traditional methods. The mushrooms, which originated from Japan, are grown on wooden logs for two years before they are harvested.

Today, the company also produces free range eggs, herbs and baby salad leaves and distributes other local produce to restaurants, hotels, shops and the Central Market.

Former fisherman Dave Cowburn runs Jersey Turbot in St Catherine’s, which is the only commercial fish farm in Jersey. The company buys turbot from France when they are four months old and grows them to market size, which can take three and a half years. The fish are kept in tanks filled with fresh sea water and are fed and organic diet of fish food and wheat.

Dave says: “At the moment we only sell to members of the public who place their orders by phone or come down and pick out the fish of their choice. In time we would like to supply to a local fish merchant or restaurant associated with Genuine Jersey.

“Being a member of the Association is a quality stamp for what we achieve. The fish are all grown locally and it is a boost to the fishing industry which has been in decline for the past few years”.

The farm currently stocks several thousand fish and it is open for members of the public to visit.

Finally, potter Theresa Robinson, who runs The Pottery at Belverdere Terrace, has also joined the Association. She designs and produces hand-thrown stoneware pottery at her studio in St Helier.

JHA and Genuine Jersey join forces to encourage more to buy local

John Garton — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT

The Jersey Hospitality Association and Genuine Jersey are joining forces to try to reshape the way islanders and businesses view local produce, as part of an economic recovery plan following the Covid-19 pandemic. The two organisations will be promoting the benefits of buying local produce over imported goods and looking at how doing so could help many businesses to recover following a difficult period.

Chief Executive Officer of the JHA, Simon Soar, said: “We have a unique opportunity here to reimagine the way businesses use local resources and how as a community we could be doing more to support our local economy and protect the environment.”

It is estimated that around 90% of the island’s food consumption is currently imported into Jersey, a figure which they are aiming to reduce in order to develop a more sustainable and responsible food culture.

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey, said: “I for one am really looking forward to getting back into eating in our fabulous restaurants. It is great news that the JHA recognise that islanders are more interested than ever in tasting the amazing array of local produce which not only supports our producers and local economy but also reduces the island’s carbon footprint. We are very happy to be working closely with them to help their members ‘Build Back Better’.”

The recovery plan will be encouraging more to embrace seasonality, recognising that certain fruit, vegetables and fish aren’t available all year round and instead looking to use what is fresh, local and at our disposal. As part of a re-education people need to learn about the benefits of eating seasonally, where produce can be found and to search out and support those establishments that are producing seasonal menus. As this week marks the start of our meteorological summer people are asked to consider what is on their plates and whether this is locally available this summer.

The JHA will also be encouraging its members to use more seasonal menus and to explore what is locally available. The recent Covid-19 lock down has already seen a huge surge in islanders seeking out local produce with the Jersey Alternative Fish Market on social media increasing the local trade of shellfish and wet fish whilst ties with France have been cut off.

Simon said: “Never before has there been this level of support to buy local and it is a momentum that we want to keep going when things return to normal. We hope that people have realised that local produce isn’t a costly alternative and that sometimes paying that little bit extra is worth it if it helps our economy, our businesses and reduces the impact to the environment.”

Seasonality charts are available on the Genuine Jersey website, along with maps of where to buy local fish and hedge veg. The introduction of the Jersey Fishermen’s Association into the Genuine Jersey Association now allows consumers to more easily identify local produce by searching out the distinctive red Genuine Jersey logo.

Genuine Jersey holds first market of the year in St Aubin

John Garton — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Islanders will be able to attend Genuine Jersey’s first market of the year on Saturday 6 June in St Aubin from 9am until 3pm. The market, which is sponsored by local insurance experts, Islands, will feature a variety of Genuine Jersey members’ quality, local products whilst complying with government guidelines surrounding Covid-19.

Genuine Jersey had to cancel its first scheduled market of the year, Simply Spring, due to Covid-19 but with restrictions being eased, the association is now able to put on a market which will have plenty of signage around health and safety, as well as hand sanitiser made by one of Genuine Jersey’s members, Manomara.

The Genuine Jersey markets are a good opportunity for islanders to see the work of various home-grown talent on the island. There will be 10 stalls at the market in St Aubin to enable plenty of space between stalls and customers. It will feature textile work, pottery, sculptures, photography and jewellery. Leyton Hunnisett of the Jersey Fisherman’s Association, which is the newest member of Genuine Jersey, will also be at the market selling his catch outside the Parish Hall.

Genuine Jersey’s mission has always been to highlight local produce and products, educate residents and visitors on the benefits of buying local and encourage them to support local businesses. The distinctive Genuine Jersey mark can be found only on members’ products and produce as a symbol and guarantee of local provenance, which in turn makes it easier for residents and visitors to the island to locate and buy local.

John Garton, Chief Executive of Genuine Jersey, said: “As part of our drive to Build Back Better and Celebrate Local during the pandemic, we are delighted to be able to put on our first market of the year while complying with Covid-19 restrictions. The markets are the perfect opportunity to get our members’ names out there, to see what products are popular and to make some sales. We are extremely grateful to our sponsor, Islands Insurance, and thank them for their support. We hope islanders will come out to see what our exhibitors have been working on and help support local businesses during these challenging times.”

Jersey Fishermen’s Association becomes a Member

John Garton — Wed, 27 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT

The Jersey Fishermen’s Association (JFA) has become a member of Genuine Jersey, enabling all of its 55 commercial fishing members to use the Genuine Jersey mark on their locally caught wet fish and shellfish, which will make it easier for residents and visitors to the island to identify and buy their catch.

Founded in 1955, the JFA was set up to act as the voice of the local commercial fishing fleet. Genuine Jersey’s mission has always been to highlight local produce and products, educate residents and visitors on the benefits of buying local and encouraging them to support local businesses. Local businesses have really suffered during the Covid-19 lockdown, especially local fishermen. Genuine Jersey is eager to help JFA Members to raise their profile and drive sales. Local fishermen have been hit hard by prolonged winter gales, export restrictions due to Covid-19, uncertainty throughout the ongoing Granville Bay Treaty review and not forgetting Brexit is still on the horizon.

The JFA members will now be permitted and encouraged to use the Genuine Jersey mark on all of their catch. Retailers and restauranteurs who source wet fish and shellfish caught by JFA members will also be able to display the Genuine Jersey mark on their fish counters and menu.

Don Thompson, from the JFA, said: “It’s been a difficult time for the local fishing fleet during Covid-19, not forgetting the winter storms, uncertainties over the Granville Bay Treaty and Brexit. We appreciate the support of islanders now more than ever in supporting local fishermen and buying local produce. We hope that by joining Genuine Jersey, islanders will find it easier to locate and buy genuinely local fish and shellfish rather than imported fish, which will in turn be reinvested into our island economy.”

John Garton, Chief Executive of Genuine Jersey, said: “As part of our drive to Build Back Better during the pandemic, we are thrilled to welcome the Jersey Fishermen’s Association as a Genuine Jersey member. Throughout Covid-19, we have been encouraging islanders to support our local fishermen as they are a vital part of providing the island’s local produce. We are so lucky to live on an island that has an abundance of fresh fish and shellfish available to us. It’s fundamentally important we all support the local fishing industry so it can continue and prosper. Now that the JFA is a Genuine Jersey member, their members can use the Genuine Jersey mark on all of their produce so islanders will know that they are supporting local jobs, eating seasonally and boosting the island’s economy, when they purchase these products which is so critical now.”

Caring Cooks benefit from Potato Growing Competition

John Garton — Wed, 20 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Caring Cooks of Jersey has become the unexpected beneficiary of the Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal Potato Growing Competition thanks to the donation of 10kg of potatoes from The Jersey Royal Company. Following the end of the event and the grand weigh-in of the tubers, freshly dug Jersey Royals were delivered to the charity to make their way onto the plate of those most in need during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Victoria College Preparatory School made the decision from their school entries to donate all the potatoes grown over the course of the four months to the charity at a time when they are under additional pressure to provide healthy home cooked meals to islanders. Organisers of the annual growing competition were so touched by the school’s generous sentiment that they agreed to also contribute the weight of spuds from the Constables competition – rounded up 10kg in total.

Melissa Nobrega, Founder and Chief Executive of Caring Cooks of Jersey, said: “We were very surprised to have received this gift from Victoria College Prep and the event organisers, but it will certainly go to good use. Our services are more in demand than ever and part of offering people a healthy, nutritious meal means using fresh local produce such as Jersey Royals. This is a wonderful example of showing that supporting local charities doesn’t always take a financial commitment and we are happy to accept help in any little ways that people can give it.”

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer, Genuine Jersey said: “It’s been a very strange year for the competition, but just as local farmers have had to do, we have persevered with our growing in these strange circumstances and judged the competition virtually online. The event has always ended there, with entrants getting to enjoy the fruits of their labour, so it’s been nice this year to consider how we could use the produce from this competition to help those in need. Not only are we continuing to educate islanders on the health benefits of our humble potato and what it means to Jersey, but now we can demonstrate the power of giving and kindness at this difficult time.”

The competition was kindly sponsored by the Channel Islands Co-operative Society, with support from by Belles Fleurs Garden & Plant Supplier and The Jersey Royal Company.

Virtual potatoes at the ready!

John Garton — Thu, 14 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Closed classrooms and working from home did little to dampen spirits at the annual weigh-in for the Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal Potato Growing Competition. Constables, the Women’s Institute, Government Health and Community Services and schools all attended the island’s first ever virtual potato weigh-in to see just who tipped the scales in the right direction!

34 of Jersey’s primary schools took part in this year’s competition, using video technology to share the results with their students and involving those still in attendance to dig up the results of their four-month long efforts. St Christopher’s Nursery Class reigned triumphant with a crop of 99 tubers weighing 2552g. They were closely followed by St Michael’s Year 1 class who grew 87 tubers weighing 1175g.

Sue Le Gallais, Reception Class Teacher from Helvetia School, said: “The girls thoroughly enjoyed planting the potatoes and we learnt some of the history behind the Jersey Royal. During lockdown we used photos of the potatoes from our weigh-in to feed into our math lessons on Zoom, calculating the number and weights.”

Les Landes School are still teaching pupils of parents who are essentially employed and got stuck in with digging up the potatoes whilst maintaining a safe distance. Most year groups were present at the grand reveal in their vegetable garden, and all helped with the counting and enjoying the efforts of their labour as part of their lunch.

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey said: “Despite the difficult circumstances imposed upon us at this time, there was never any doubt that we were going to host the weigh-in in one form or another. It is such a well-loved event and an important one for the island of Jersey to celebrate. Hopefully through learning more about Jersey Royals and the industry’s place in our island’s economy will encourage more to buy local. Supporting our farmers and producers is now needed more than ever at this difficult time.”

In the Constables event last year’s winner, St Clement’s Len Norman, maintained his title with the heaviest crop of the competition at 1254g of freshly dug Royals. But his offering of 65 tubers was not enough to contend with St Lawrence’s Deidre Mezbourian who took the title for ‘Greatest Number’ with 86 tubers.

The Women’s Institute trophy was taken by Anne Perchard of St Martin’s WI who won both ‘Heaviest Crop’ and ‘Greatest Number’ with 78 potatoes weighing 2259g. Runners up were Sue Read of St Lawrence’s WI with 65 tubers and Phyllis Gouedart of Le Hocq with a crop weighing in at 1704g.

The Government’s Health and Social Services have been using the competition to aid mental wellbeing, gardening having been proven to relax and calm people’s minds. This year there were joint winners with both Overdale Horticultural Group and St Saviour Maple Ward both registering 50 potatoes at a weight of 708g.

The competition was kindly sponsored by the Channel Islands Co-operative Society, with support from Belles Fleurs Garden & Plant Supplier and The Jersey Royal Company. The Growing Competition has been taking place for 14 years with the number of participants growing as more are keen to celebrate Jersey’s humble potato.

Made in Jersey, an online marketplace for Makers launches this Easter

John Garton — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT

A new online marketplace, MadeinJersey.je, is launching this Easter and features products that are 'made in Jersey' from a variety of Jersey Makers. Customers will be able to shop for unique, original and thoughtful gifts for their loved ones from the comfort of their own homes and support small local businesses at the same time.

The site offers Jersey-based Makers a central platform online, through which to reach their customers, both existing and new, who are no longer able to visit the many vibrant markets, shops and galleries that are normally available in the island. Made in Jersey wants to keep the local economy alive and help small businesses continue to thrive, not just survive, during these challenging and unprecedented times. If you are a Maker in Jersey, no matter the discipline, Made in Jersey would like to invite you to sign up and benefit from having your products marketed to customers across various channels and make use of the additional outlet to generate income, whilst the usual avenues of trading are closed or cancelled.

Made in Jersey is the brainchild of Carla Butler, who having seen in quick succession markets cancel, then galleries and shops close in mid to late March, realised that there was not an online Jersey-specific marketplace available for Makers through which to sell their work. She quickly set to work building the Made in Jersey website with these exact people in mind and then started to approach Jersey artists, crafters and makers of all kinds to invite them to list their work on the site. With over 20 makers already in the pipeline and more joining each day, Carla is busy wearing many hats to make her idea a fully functioning reality.

"I have dallied with the idea of creating an online marketplace in a similar vein to Etsy or NotOnTheHighStreet, but specific to Jersey, for many years but have never gotten round to setting anything up. When I saw the markets cancel and shops and galleries suddenly be forced to close in response to the Covid pandemic, I realised that it was the push I needed and it was time to finally do something about my idea! And so Made in Jersey was born. Once the name was decided, building the site and inviting the first Makers to join all took place fairly quickly and I'm pleased that we're able to launch the site just in time for Easter. The response from Makers here in Jersey has been fantastic and I'm so happy to be able to support local businesses at a time when generating income through traditional methods is so difficult. It is my aim to have as many Jersey Makers showcasing their work on the site as possible and I'm really chuffed to see local artists, crafters, designers etc adapt so quickly to selling online and show off what Jersey has to offer!"

Customers can browse the site, adding products from many different Makers before reaching the checkout and paying securely via PayPal using their Credit/Debit Card or PayPal account. Delivery is currently free island-wide with Makers utilising the fantastic service and network that Jersey Post still has to offer islanders. It is free to join the site so that Makers do not incur any additional expenses at this time, with a small commission fee payable on any sales, to cover transaction fees and the cost of setting up and running the site.

Paolo Sebastianelli, Peekazu said, “As a local business, we were approached by Carla to advertise our Jersey-based products on her new website. As a lot of our products are available locally in gift shops that are now closed, our sales have naturally dropped, so we thought it was a great idea that local businesses come together to showcase their products in one place. Not only is this great news for us, but also for other local businesses who can also benefit from further exposure.”

Georgie Ng, Creative Cottage said, “I was approached by Carla who created “Made In Jersey” on the off-chance I would be interested in getting my products showcased via her new website, in these uncertain times in Jersey as a small business, how could I say no! I was surprised at the ease and speed which Carla worked due to deadlines she had to meet. Should you be approached to get on board with “Made in Jersey” then jump on board and let people see what this little island can offer!”

Mandy Gagnerie, bonboncoland said, “I’m delighted to have joined madeinjersey.je as my local presence online for bonboncoland constructible chocolate and confectionery. In these uncertain times it’s ever more important for me to stay close to my roots as it’s in Jersey that I find inspiration for my work. Viewers to the site will find an array of superb products from local artists/artisans, when other ‘brick and mortar’ establishments have to remain closed and I would highly recommend a visit.”

Kat de la Mare, Mariposa said, “As a local artist here in Jersey, madeinjersey.je has come at the best possible time! I know that salaries for some are uncertain right now, but for those that might have a friend with an upcoming birthday or celebration I really hope this enables them to still buy that something special, and for those of us that are self-employed it will hopefully help us stay afloat in this extremely uncertain time. As postage times become more and more unpredictable due to the pandemic, I think it's a really good opportunity to drive home the message of buying local...we have SUCH an amazing amount of creative businesses here in Jersey, and I am really excited to be a part of this new venture.”

Lana Krost, LunaFreckles said, “I am incredibly excited to be asked to be involved with the online shopping platform Made in Jersey. There is a lot of talent and creativity on the island and to have a platform that supports all the artisans and to be able to share it with the Jersey community is a wonderful support & opportunity. In crazy times of uncertainty like these, being able to safely shop for that one special gift for someone, brings back a little normality in our lives, which we are all in need of, and hopefully encourages positive vibes and smiles around the rock whilst we endure these times together.”

Vince Thorne, Vince Thorne Bespoke Photography said, “The ‘Made in Jersey’ site is just what we need for local makers and artists like myself to take advantage of! We are living in very difficult times with no shops open and an online presence is definitely needed. For me, ‘Made in Jersey’ is a great, scalable platform on which to sell my bespoke landscape photographs and is suitable for a number of different makers and artists on the island.”

Sharon Packman, Shara Candles said, “As a local ‘maker’ the creation of ‘Made in Jersey’ is perfectly timed for me to showcase and sell my spring/summer range of candles. During an uncertain time, when our normal buying habits have changed, such a dedicated website enables me to sell alongside other local traders giving everyone the opportunity to continue to buy local from the comfort and safety of their homes.”

Cathryn Ward, Skaapie said, “I am very excited to have a local website on which to sell my Genuine Jersey products that I design and produce myself. Most of my business is local so it makes more sense for me to use a website like this as opposed to Etsy, as I've noticed a big increase in demand for orders and commissions as people start to shop closer to home. I am also used to selling my wide range of felt products at events and fairs which obviously is not possible right now, so the need to sell online and be able to continue to work from home is greater than ever. Having a website where people can shop from all local producers and designers in Jersey is fantastic and I look forward to being a part of this collaboration.”

Support Our Local Farmers and Producers through Home Deliveries

John Garton — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT

In an effort to help islanders shop locally without leaving the comfort of their homes, here is a list of shops who can deliver to your door. 🏠

If you shop from any of these please include goods from our farmers, producers, growers, fishermen and small businesses to support them during these hard times. If in doubt seek out the Genuine Jersey mark as a guarantee of local provenance. To download pdf version click here.

Scoop – free delivery to those in need or isolation. Email orders@scoop.org.je

Jersey Sea Salt - free island wide delivery.

Lucas Brothers – free islandwide delivery. Visit www.lucas.je

Fungi Delecti – home delivery for orders. Email orders@fungidelecti.com

CI Co-op – Essential food delivery for vulnerable islanders www.channelislands.coop/je/food/essential-emergency-deliveries-faqs/

Douet Farm – Delivering goats cheese and milk to your door. www.douetfarm.com

Homefield Growers – fruit and vegetable delivery www.homefieldgrowers.com

HolmeGrown – shop online and free delivery for orders at £30 or over, £5 charge otherwise. www.holmegrown.com

The Little Jersey Biltong Company – order online for home delivery www.biltong.je

Woodside Flower and Farm Shop – free delivery and online ordering www.woodsideflowers.je

GetFresh - online shopping for local suppliers launching soon www.getfresh.je

Valley Foods - online shopping with home delivery www.valleyfoods.je

Fish and seafood - visit www.genuinejersey.je/news-features/support-the-jerseyfishing-

fleet/ for details of local fishermen and outlets

Support Our Local Fishermen

John Garton — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT

With local fishermen no longer able to sell their produce to France, there is an abundance of fresh fish and seafood on the island. This industry needs our support, so please check and buy local when you buy! 🦀🦞🐟

Click here to download the local availability leaflet.

Want to know where to buy it from? Here's a handy map and a link to local retailers:

The Fresh Fish Company

The Fish Market Jersey

Fin and Feather Limited

Faulkner Fisheries

Greatcatch Seafood

Holme Grown

Channel Islands Co-operative

Crabs Direct

Rondels Farm Shop

La Crete Seafood

Jersey Hand Dived Scallops

Jenna-Dee Scallops

Dunn Ross

Rock Fisheries

Share this around and enjoy as much delicious, local fish and shellfish as you can!!

And this is a list of fishermen on the Jersey Alternative Fish Market Facebook page :

Please check with individual supplier for availability, prices, and payment methods. If there is no initial answer, please assume that they are out fishing :)

GREEN BEAN - shellfish 07797 724861
Bantac Shellfish
Blue Minstrel Fresh Shellfish
Crabs Direct
David - lobsters 07797 813825
David Sullivan Mater b Shellfish & Wetfish 07797813825
Gibby Gordon
Greatcatch Seafood
Jade-S Fisheries
Jay Allen
Jenna-Dee Scallops
Jersey Fresh Fish
Jersey Hand Dived Scallops
Kraken Shellfish
Rock Fisheries
South Coast Shellfish
Steph Noel 07797 841865
Sylvie Grace Shellfish
The Fresh Fish Company
The Jersey Catch
The Rozel Lobster
The Ugly Oyster
White Waters Shellfish

Many of the above can deliver. Thank you.

The Genuine Jersey Jersey Royal Growing Competition returns bigger and better!

John Garton — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Primary school children, constables, the media and Women’s Institute branches are preparing to sow their seed potatoes as part of the annual Genuine Jersey, Jersey Royal Potato Growing Competition. Additional schools have come on board to join this year’s competition and fewer pots will be handed out to encourage more recycling.

The event, which is sponsored by The Channel Islands Co-operative Society, sees children and other Islanders compete to grow the heaviest crop of Jersey Royals and to achieve the highest yield.

Last year, the competition saw the most successful yields on record since the event began in 2006. Potato farmers in Jersey also had a good year of growth in 2019 due to ideal weather conditions. In the coming months, they are hopeful for dry and mild weather for planting the first Jersey Royals of the season.

The competition now has all 32 primary schools on the Island participating in the event, which educates pupils on the importance of healthy eating and growing your own food, as well as learning about fresh, local produce and Jersey’s heritage.

Each competing class receives a free growing kit comprising of two Jersey Royal seed potatoes, compost and fertiliser.

This year, all schools taking part will be judged on the same day. A separate event will follow for the Women’s Institute, Health and Social Services, and constables and media categories.

John Garton, Chief Executive of Genuine Jersey Products Association, said: “Following the success of last year where record yields were achieved, we are extremely excited to get this year’s competition underway. The Jersey Royal remains one of our greatest exports and the fact that people of all ages can enjoy the process of learning, growing and eating them is what makes this community event so appealing. It’s fantastic to see how the competition has evolved over the last 14 years. We’re extremely grateful to have the support of Islanders year on year.”

Mark Cox, acting chief executive officer said: “We’re really pleased to once again support the potato growing competition. It’s a fantastic way to educate future generations and islanders about the important role the Jersey Royal potato has within our island culture and history. Not only that, it serves to highlight the work our local producers and farmers do throughout the year to supply our stores with fresh, local produce.”

In addition to the Co-op as the main sponsor, the competition is also supported by Belles Fleurs Garden & Plant Supplier and The Jersey Royal Company.

Two weekends of Christmas markets to hit the centre of town

John Garton — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The Genuine Jersey Simply Christmas markets, which bring quality local products and festive cheer to the heart of St Helier, are set to be bigger and better for their second year.

Over 60 local producers, crafts people and artists will be showcasing their work in the Royal Square over two four-day weekends, where you can meet the makers and buy unique gifts from the artisans themselves. From tasty treats and homemade delicacies to bespoke jewellery and local art, there will be different exhibitors at each event so, Christmas shoppers can enjoy a wide range of quality goods over both weekends.

Bringing the square to life, will be street performers, local bands, choirs and musicians, and plenty of festive activities for families to take part in, including a Christmas scavenger hunt. Event sponsors Signtech, Prosperity 24/7 and TEAM Asset Management are helping to make 2019’s markets even more magical than previous years.

Sarah Taylor, Simply event organiser, said: “Working with Genuine Jersey last year was a great success, shoppers were blown away by the level of talent and skill showcased by our exhibitors and the Royal Square was filled with locals and visitors all enjoying the festive atmosphere. This year we are welcoming even more exhibitors, musicians and street performers so, over the two weekends there will always be something new to see.”

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey, said: “The festive season and our local markets are a really special time of the year for our members, they are the perfect opportunity to get their names out there, see what products are popular and to make some sales. Genuine Jersey are really pleased to hold these markets for a second year.”

The event will be supporting Variety – the Children’s Charity of Jersey through a raffle. Each year, every stall holder donates a product to the raffle so there will be some great hampers and prizes on offer. Raffle tickets will be available from the Variety Club Jersey stall at the markets.

The markets will be held from 5^th to 8^th and 12^th to 15^th of December, and event organisers are pointing people to the Simply Christmas page on Facebook to keep up to date with the line-up of entertainment and stall-holders on each day.

Cookery competition celebrates the best of Jersey

John Garton — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Results are in after another successful year at the JCG Genuine Jersey Skills for Life cookery competition, which celebrates talent among local amateur chefs and Jersey produce.

The week-long competition saw over 100 students from Les Quennevais, Grainville, Victoria College, Le Rocquier and JCG work against the clock to create a healthy, balanced main dish in a series of heats. The judges, including Marcus Calvani, Andrew Baird the Executive Chef at Longueville Manor, Tim Pedley and Tommy Radiguet the Executive Chef at Samphire, payed close attention to the students’ culinary skill and imaginative use of local, seasonal produce when giving their scores.

JCG student, Hannah Read, who took 1^st place in the Yr 11 heat winning the Longueville Manor Award, was also awarded the Jersey Market’s Trophy, sponsored by Vienna Bakery, for the best overall entry in the competition. Hannah’s winning dish was a fillet of local red mullet on a bed of crushed potatoes with kale and tenderstem broccoli, topped with a free-range poached egg and a chive beurre blanc.

For a second year the event also hosted an adult competition, where seven contestants took part in a heated cook-off. Angela Crowcroft wowed the judges with her grilled red and grey mullet and was awarded the Genuine Jersey trophy for the winner of the adult category.

Organiser Antoinette De Louche, Head of Food and Nutrition at JCG, said: “I am blown away by the high standard of dishes prepared by our students, each year they fully embrace the challenge and should be so proud of their work.”

“We are very lucky to have so many talented chefs on the Island and I can’t thank them enough for supporting this initiative and for giving up their time to adjudicate the competition. I am also very grateful for the ongoing support of Genuine Jersey.”

Genuine Jersey Chief Executive John Garton said: “As champions of local produce, Skills for Life is always a fantastic event for Genuine Jersey to be a part of and we are very proud to sponsor the competition year after year. Not only does it encourage students to improve their culinary skills, but to discover the fantastic local produce available on their doorsteps.”

The cookery competition also receives support from Modern Hotels, Mange Tout, Longueville Manor, the Pedley family, Rondel Farm Shop, Vienna Bakery, Dunn Ross Fisheries and The Boat House group.

Jersey goat’s cheese named among the best in the world

John Garton — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Jerriaise D’or’s Fluffy Fuhka goat’s cheese was named in the top 84 best cheeses in the world at the World Cheese Awards 2019. The cheese was selected from 3,804 entries and achieved a coveted Super Gold Award.

With entries representing 42 nations from six continents at the 32^nd World Cheese Awards in Italy, Jerriaise D’or has gained an internationally recognised seal of approval from a truly global cheese event and helped to put Jersey produce on the map.

Judges scored the cheese on its look, feel, smell and taste with attention to the appearance of the rind and paste, as well as the cheese’s aroma, body and texture. Points were also awarded for flavour and mouthfeel.

Angela Harvey-Jones, joint proprietor and cheesemaker at Jerriaise D’or said: “We are thrilled that our cheese has been recognised as one of the best cheeses in the world, remarkable really considering the competition!”

John Sowerby, co-owner of the farm, said: “People are becoming more interested in the provenance of artisan cheese and are looking for different milk types. The Fluffy Fuhka is produced from unpasteurised goats’ milk and has a complex but subtle flavour - it’s rich, creamy texture contrasts beautifully with the ash coating and the white of the bloomy rind. Each cheese is lovingly crafted by hand in the true spirit of an artisan cheese.”

Angela and John have been farming goats for 10 years and worked on perfecting the Fluffy Fuhka recipe for close to 18 months, before releasing the product. Their acceptance as a Genuine Jersey member is testament to the high-quality and local provenance of their practices.

Jersey cheese enthusiasts who want a taste of the Fluffy Fuhka will have to sit tight, as the goats naturally slow down their production at this time of year, to build up their strength for breeding. In the next few years, Jerriase D’or plan to expand the production at the goat farm, including new recipes and products for the local market and making their long-held dream to export their cheese to France a reality.

JCG Invites Amateur Chefs to Compete

John Garton — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The JCG/Genuine Jersey ‘Skills for Life’ cookery competition is searching out Jersey’s best amateur chefs this October. Students from all of the island’s secondary schools will participate, and this year will also see the return of the adult cooking contest.

Adult entrants are being asked to create a main course using as many ingredients as possible that have been grown, reared or caught in Jersey. Andrew Baird, Executive Chef at Longueville Manor will be adjudicating the adult competition with Tommy Radiguet, Head Chef at Samphire, and Tim and Rozena Pedley judging the student heats.

Budding chefs should submit their dish designs by 14^th October, with chosen finalists going through to the cook-off final on Saturday 19^th October at 9am. There will be a selection of prizes on offer for one lucky winner as well as the accolade of being ‘Genuine Jersey certified’ as an amateur chef!

Held in partnership with Genuine Jersey and organised and hosted by Jersey College for Girls, Skills for Life aims to raise awareness of healthy eating using local produce, as well as capture the spirit of shows such as The Great British Bake Off and Masterchef. Entrants are asked to create a healthy, balanced main dish which embraces local, seasonal produce.

Organiser Antoinette De Louche, Head of Food and Nutrition at JCG, said: “We encourage our students to develop and extend their skills and knowledge by exploring local produce so that they can see how easy it can be to eat healthy meals.However, we forget that sometimes us adults need this encouragement too! With our lives so busy and full we can overlook the importance of utilizing fresh ingredients readily at our disposal. I hope this competition will help more of us view cooking and food preparation as a family event and time of celebration.”

Genuine Jersey Chief Executive John Garton said: “This is a fantastic event that Genuine Jersey are happy to support once again this year. I think there is a trend for people to think more about what they are eating and in particular to try to buy as local and natural as they can. Following on from the Eat Local Challenge and initiatives that supermarkets and grocery stores are implementing, this competition can only help to raise awareness of what a great range of produce we have on our doorstep.”

Ongoing sponsorship for the student section of the competition has been received from Modern Hotels, Mange Tout, Dunn Ross Fisheries, Rondel’s Farm Shop, Longueville Manor, Pedley Family, Genuine Jersey, The Boathouse Group, Shaun Rankin and Vienna Bakery.

The rules and entry details can be viewed on www.genuinejersey.com

Jerriaise D’or Goat Farm is among the Great Taste winners of 2019

John Garton — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Jerriaise D’or’s goats cheese has received a 2-star rating in this year’s prestigious Great Taste Awards. The world’s most coveted food and drinks award singled out the Fluffy Fuhka cheese from the St Ouen’s Farm, dubbing it ‘beyond delicious!’

12,772 products were sent in to the Great Taste Awards from over 100 different countries, with only 10% being recognised as worthy of a two-star rating.

Food critics, chef, cooks, restaurateurs, food writers and were amongst the 500 judges tasked with carrying out blind taste tests of products, remarking on Fluffy Fuhka that: “this is a beautifully made cheese. It brings a delicate opening with a flavour that builds well with salt and lactic and grass and chalky delight. Great length and depth of flavour, soft and creamy with the perfect level of salt and a very gentle goat note.

“It is a pretty little cheese that brought a smile to our faces – even those who would normally steer clear of goats cheese!”

As well as bearing the Genuine Jersey hallmark, guaranteeing its local provenance, the cheese will now bear the unmistakable black and gold Great Taste label as a badge of honour. Jerriaise D’or are currently the only goats cheese producers in the island, hand-crafting their products from their herd of Golden Guernsey goats. The humorously named, Fluffy Fuhka, is an aged goats cheese which delivers a complex and fuller flavour that only improves over time.

Cheesemaker and joint-owner of Jerriaise D’or, Angela Harvey-Jones, explains: “It took a long time to develop the recipes and although our customers consistently give us excellent feed-back on how much they love our cheese, we decided to subject ourselves to the independent and slightly scary scrutiny of the prestigious Great Taste awards to get an expert independent view of our cheese. My husband John and I will be celebrating with our Golden Guernsey girls giving them extra special treats for all their good work.”

Apart from at the farm gate in St Ouens, the winning cheese can be purchased exclusively from Relish the prestigious St Helier deli and found on the cheese trolley at Longueville Manor.

Pots, pebbles and pupcakes get the Genuine Jersey seal of approval

John Garton — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The diversity of Genuine Jersey has been further boosted with the addition of five new members bringing a range of talents and produce to Jersey’s largest community of local artisans, producers, growers and creatives.

Three local artists, Claire Haithwaite, Janet Conneely and Jo Logue now have the exclusive Genuine Jersey hallmark attached to their artwork due to their use of locally found materials. Using Jersey clay collected from Grouville Bay, Claire designs ceramic pots under her business ‘Haithwaite Ceramics’, while Janet creates sculptural figurines from metal and wire.

Jo Logue looks to Jersey’s coastline for materials for her artwork, painting pebbles and scallop shells with bright mandalas under ‘Jo’s Painted Pebbles' and portraits of the famous Jersey cow under the business name of ‘Herd of Jersey’.

Jo said: “My cow pebbles are designed to be taken from Jersey as a memento and photographed around the world, each one bearing its own number and name. The 200 that I have painted so far have been photographed in places as far away as Indonesia, China, Ecuador and Australia.”

Paw-some is the brainchild of Jill Underwood and sells locally-sourced dog treats, designed with dogs with dietary requirements in mind. Jill uses local ingredients to bake organic homemade biscuits, cookies, muffins and birthday cakes for canine companions, offering free delivery on the island.

Jessica Silver is the only fashion designer to form part of Genuine Jersey, creating made to order baby clothes through her business Silver Stitch. Jessica has been sewing since she was 10 years old, but decided to turn her hobby into a business following the birth of her children. Her clothes are all hand stitched and sewn within her Jersey home and available to purchase from the Harbour Gallery or through an appointment for a design consultation.

Jessica said: “I have always wanted to have the prestige of being a Genuine Jersey member and am really excited by the opportunities it will offer my business to get to that next level.”

John Garton, Chief Executive of Genuine Jersey said: “We should commend these five individuals for their successful application into the Genuine Jersey community. Applicants are judged on their use of local materials, the manufacturing process or growing/rearing of products and the skillset carried out by a resident in bringing these to market. This criteria ensures that everything that bears the Genuine Jersey hallmark is of Jersey provenance and of an exceptionally high level of quality.”

Art Not Ash

John Garton — Tue, 16 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT

A new exhibition called ‘Shipwrecked’ opens this weekend at Jane James Studio & Gallery at 20 Commercial Buildings, St Helier.

The exhibition that coincides with the 10 year anniversary of Genuine Jersey Member Jane James Ceramics centres around a 22ft classic sailing yacht called ‘Ranzo’ that had come to the end of its sailing life and was destined for the incinerator. Jane who prides herself on using recycled wood in her ceramics creations has dismantled the yacht and created 40 pieces of exciting new work using every part of the wooden yacht.

During the process she has also researched the history of the vessel and the exhibition is both a celebration of her work and of the workmanship and much joy this boat has given local family’s whilst sailing in the waters off Jersey for the past 80 years.

The exhibition opens this Saturday, 20th July and is on until 21st September. The gallery is open 9.30 - 4pm Mon - Sat

For more information on the exhibition see https://jane-james.com/jane-james-10th-anniversary-exhibition-shipwrecked/

Summer soup scoops top prize in Genuine Jersey competition

John Garton — Tue, 09 Jul 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Genuine Jersey has announced the winner of its “What’s on my plate?” competition, with a photo of a simple bowl of summer soup stealing the top prize. Pearl Cochrane (31) was awarded a £100 voucher to El Tico for her celebration of local produce, which she made into a spicy minestrone vegetable broth.

The social media competition held throughout June had over 100 entries capturing the best of Jersey’s seafood, fruit and vegetables and baked goods. Restaurants and food outlets also played along to support local farmers and producers, with JB’s Brewhouse, Kismet Cabana, La Bastille and La Mare Vineyards offering their customers a wide range of local delicacies.

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer at Genuine Jersey said: “The whole purpose of this competition was to get people questioning more where their meals come from. Given the option, did you or the restaurant choose to buy local and can you taste the difference? Our aim was to highlight that it can be easy to buy a lot more locally in order to support small businesses and our local economy.”

Pearl Cochrane said: “I was delighted to be chosen as the winner of this competition as I’m such a big foodie! I run a blog page called Pearl Eats on Instagram and I am always taking photos of all the glorious food and produce on offer in Jersey. It’s been really interesting to find out what is on offer locally and I will certainly be continuing my food tour of Jersey being mindful of this.”

Genuine Jersey will next be asking islanders to participate in the upcoming Eat Local Challenge which takes place at the end of August. The independent food challenge being run by Bethan Watkins is being supported by Genuine Jersey and asks participants to try to eat only local produce for one whole week.

The Genuine Jersey association is home to many local growers and farmers and is a firm advocate of quality Jersey produce. Look for the distinctive red logo when shopping for Genuine Jersey produce or ask food outlets what they are serving up that is local.

Ten years of Genuine success

John Garton — Fri, 31 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Genuine Jersey and Islands are celebrating a successful ten year partnership this year. Drawing on each other's knowledge and expertise, the partnership has supported 100’s of local businesses to grow and thrive over the past decade and look optimistically into the future.

Islands first provided its support to Genuine Jersey members in 2009 and over the last ten years has sponsored the monthly summer St Aubin Farm and Craft Markets. Islands has also offered subsided insurance cover tailored to the needs of all Genuine Jersey members, from farmers and growers to jewellers and potters.

The next market is being held on Saturday 1 June from 9 am – 3 pm outside St Brelade’s Parish Hall, St Aubin. Stall-holders differ each month, offering visitors and Islanders a range of produce and locally-made goods.

Sales and Marketing Director at Islands, Jim Purkiss, said: “Islands are delighted to have been supporting such a great celebration of local produce, craftsmanship and ingenuity at the St Aubin markets for the past 10 years. Genuine Jersey members really do promote the best that the Island has to offer. We also hope that the subsidised insurance we’ve offered has given small businesses one less thing to worry about as they get their feet off the ground and kick start their new business.”

The monthly markets are a wonderful addition to the Island’s events calendar during the summer months and are enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. The next market is this Saturday 1 June.

Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey, John Garton, said: “The markets are now an established and popular addition to the summer calendar and both the markets and members have benefitted enormously from the support provided by Islands over the last ten years. They provide a truly valuable service for our members and I am grateful for their continued support.”

St Aubin Farm and Craft Markets are being held on 1June, 20July, 10August and 14 September.

Genuine Jersey ask islanders, ‘what’s on your plate?’

John Garton — Wed, 29 May 2019 12:00:00 GMT

Genuine Jersey is delighted to launch a social media campaign for the month of June encouraging islanders to question what’s on their plate and where their produce came from. The campaign asks people to upload photos of their food, either homemade or purchased, to celebrate locally available produce and its place on our dinner plates.

The campaign, ‘What’s on my plate?’, aims to educate and inspire Islanders about the seasonal produce on their door step and ultimately, encourage more people to buy locally. One winner will be selected from those that post photos of their plates on social media, winning a £100 voucher to dine at Genuine Jersey sponsor, El Tico. Participants should use the hashtag #whatsonmyplatejersey and tag Genuine Jersey into their photos throughout the month.

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey, said: “Genuine Jersey has been championing local produce for the last twenty years as we really are spoilt for choice on this beautiful Island when it comes to fresh, seasonal produce. We are keen to see more people make the most of our resources beyond iconic foods such as Jersey Royals and our dairy products and hopefully this campaign will highlight what is out there.”

The campaign comes as a natural pre-curser to the Jersey Eat Local Challenge, taking place in August and which Genuine Jersey are supporting.

John said: “The hope is that people can use this campaign to see where to purchase local food from and then test themselves by going fully local for a week during the Eat Local Challenge. Buying local produce not only delivers a superior taste and great nutritional value, but also offers environmental and economic benefits by supporting our local growers and farmers.”

Record breaking results for potato growing competition

John Garton — Tue, 28 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Results are in for the 2019 Genuine Jersey potato growing competition sponsored by The Channel Islands Co-operative Society and have produced the most successful yields on record since the event started in 2006.

Spirits were high during the al-fresco weigh in at St Ouen’s Parish Hall, where record yields were achieved. Starting in late January, schools, media, the Women’s Institute, Connetables and teams from social services have been nurturing their seed potatoes provided by The Jersey Royal Company, in a bid for potato growing glory.

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey, said: “Each year at the weigh in, there is a wonderful sense of pride from all competitors. Whether a bucket has 10 potatoes or 60, it is clear to see that entrants have found joy in growing their potatoes and are always excited to see what the next bucket reveals. The Jersey Royal really is the star of the show!”

In the school’s competition, which involved all 32 primary schools, St Christopher’s won the heaviest crop award, with Pre-Reception coming in at a weighty 2.362kg. Runners up were Year two at First Tower School with 1.768kg. Year three at Trinity Primary won the schools’ most tubers competition with 69, closely followed by runner up Grouville Nursery with 67.

St Clement’s Connetable, Len Norman, swept the board in the Connetables competition yielding a bucket of 66 tubers at a weight of 1.726kg and went home with a double win.

In the media competition, Gallery Magazine won the heaviest crop award at 1.505kg and business magazine Connect came in on top with the most tubers, yielding 56 potatoes. BBC achieved second place in both categories with 50 tubers weighing in at 1.036kg.

None of the results compared to the efforts of the Women’s Institute which was won by Linda Le Brocq of St Ouen with 78 tubers at a weight of 2.201kg.

This year, the competition received great take up from the teams at health and social services. In competition with 10 other teams, Maple Ward won both the heaviest crop and most-tubers award, their yield weighing in at 0.953kg with an impressive 57 potatoes.

With support from the main sponsor The Channel Islands Co-operative Society, the Genuine Jersey Products Association is set to bring bite sized buckets of Jersey farming to the attention of Islanders once again, for the competitions 14^th year in January 2020.

John said: “It is encouraging to see more and more people get involved with the competition each year and I am keen to see how the event will progress for 2020. Jersey farming and the Jersey Royal are quintessential to Island life and the potato growing competition remains a fantastic opportunity to celebrate this.”

FULL Results

PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Class growing the most tubers in one bucket:

WINNER - TRINITY YEAR 3 with 69 tubers

RUNNER-UP – GROUVILLE NURSERY with 67 tubers

Class growing the heaviest weight of tubers in one bucket:

WINNER – ST CHRISTOPHER PRE-RECEPTION with 2,361.8 grammes

RUNNER-UP – FIRST TOWER YEAR 2 R with 1,768.1 grammes

School with the highest average number of tubers per bucket:

WINNER – GROUVILLE SCHOOL with an average of 48 tubers per bucket

RUNNER-UP – TRINITY SCHOOL with an average of 47 tubers per bucket

School with the highest average weight of tubers per bucket:

WINNER – LES LANDES SCHOOL with an average weight per bucket of 1,341.7 grammes

RUNNER-UP – MONT A L’ABBE SCHOOL with an average weight per bucket of 1,120.3 grammes

CONNETABLES

WINNER - ST CLEMENT with 66 Tubers weighing 1,726 grammes

RUNNERS-UP – ST MARTIN grew 59 Tubers

ST LAWRENCE grew tubers weighing 1,622 grammes

MEDIA

WINNER – CONNECT MAGAZINE grew 56 Tubers

WINNER – GALLERY MAGAZINE grew tubers weighing 1,505 grammes

WOMEN’S INSTITUTES

WINNER – LINDA LE BROCQ of ST OUEN WI grew 78 Tubers weighing 2,201.5 grammes

RUNNERS UP – JACKIE FROMAGER of ST LAWRENCE WI grew 77 Tubers in her bucket

PHYLLIS GOUEDART of LE HOCQ WI grew tubers weighing 1,871.3 grammes

Genuine Jersey markets return to St Aubin this weekend

John Garton — Tue, 07 May 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The celebrated Islands’ Genuine Jersey Markets will return to St Aubin this weekend, offering visitors a variety of local crafts, produce and entertainment.

The artisans’ markets, which are sponsored by Islands will provide shoppers with the unique opportunity to explore the very best talented producers, artists and craftspeople that Jersey has to offer. A variety of stallholders will be displaying their wares, many of which are handmade or homemade on the Island and which display the distinctive Genuine Jersey logo, guaranteeing their local provenance.

The markets will be held monthly throughout the summer in St Aubin, creating a lively atmosphere in one of Jersey’s most scenic locations.

Genuine Jersey Chief Executive John Garton said: “There is currently a lot of love on the Island for local markets following the huge success of our Simply Christmas and Simply Spring events. We hope to maintain people’s enthusiasm for supporting local artisans and producers by offering them high quality gifts that are both different and unique.

“With new members constantly joining our community, there is always the chance to purchase new, exclusive produce and to discover exciting new creative ventures.”

Jim Purkiss, Sales and Marketing Director at Islands Insurance, said: “We are proud to be sponsoring this year’s Genuine Jersey markets once again since they are such a wonderful reflection of Jersey life and a great addition to our events calendar. Islands has been supporting Genuine Jersey members with tailored insurance for over ten years now, ensuring members can obtain the public liability insurance necessary to host a stall at markets and craft fairs, at the lowest possible rate.

“I hope that everyone will embrace our local producers and support the local economy by paying visit to these markets.”

Islands ‘Genuine Jersey’ Markets

Start 9am. End from 3pm

11 May, 1st June, 20th July, 10th August, 14 September

Classic Herd launches milk vending machine

John Garton — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Classic Herd are proud to announce the launch of Jersey’s first milk vending machine at their St Peter farm. The machine delivers whole pasteurised unhomogenised cow’s milk, inviting customers to bring along a reusable vessel in an effort to cut down on waste and plastic packaging.

The vending machine is now open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, dispensing volumes of one or two litres, with no limit to how much you can purchase. The cutting-edge technology has been installed at the farm in an effort to become as plastic-free as possible and to offer a natural product with zero food miles.

Julia Quenault of Classic Herd was keen to offer a vending option for her milk produce after viewing the technology in Aberdeen. The facility is only just taking off around the UK, with Alderney also trialling similar machines under a pilot scheme.

Julia said: “We are committed to prioritising the wellbeing of our cows and delivering top quality and eco-friendly produce. Being able to buy milk so fresh and local means there is less processing that takes place, enhancing the flavour from our famous cows. We invite islanders to come and try out the fresh milk to taste the difference.

“We hope this vending machine will not only encourage more people to buy their milk locally, but to reduce single use plastic and eliminate waste.”

To accompany the service the farm shop is selling Classic Herd branded eco-friendly milk bottles which can be reused to hold one litre of the milk. The milk has a shelf life of around four days after purchase, clean bottles and refrigeration offering the longest possible storage. All plastic bottles sold in the farm shop are also recyclable demonstrating their commitment to being an eco-friendly farm.

Classic Herd was the first farm on the Island to install a robotic milking system in 2017, allowing the cows to control when their milking occurs. This technology is believed to be much kinder to the animal and makes the milking process more efficient and economical.

Simply Spring arrives at Royal Square

John Garton — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Jersey’s outdoor events calendar gets off to a tremendous start with the Simply Spring market launching this week. The Island’s largest offering of local produce, arts and crafts will be back in the Royal Square, offering a wide selection of seasonal delights and Easter themed gifts as well as fun for all the family.

Over 40 stalls will be on display in the centre of town, including a number of Genuine Jersey members. Along with gifts and homeware, the event will be providing live music, delicious food and entertainment making the Royal Square a great destination for families to come and enjoy the colour and vibrancy of springtime. The markets will feature the Helier Morris Men, Jersey Lilies along with La Robeline, Pizza Projekt and Scoop – The Sustainable Cooperative.

Market organiser Sarah Taylor said: “We were really overwhelmed at the response we had from the last market, so we want to ensure that we offer visitors, shoppers and Islanders alike the same high-quality event this Spring. There is a real magical feel to these events, where local producers and artisans come together with great community spirit and where their talent is recognised and celebrated. We look forward to welcoming even more visitors and hope that they will feel inspired to take away a special piece of Jersey with them.”

John Garton, Chief Executive Officer of Genuine Jersey, said: “The first market of the year is always eagerly anticipated, and we are thrilled to be able to host this event in the heart of St Helier once again. Following the huge success of Simply Christmas, we’ve had an influx of enquiries from local businesses keen to join the Genuine Jersey community and to be involved with the Simply Spring event, so we are looking forward to seeing a few new faces at the market.”

Simply Spring is set to take place in the Royal Square from 4^th to 6^th April, open between 10am and 7pm each day with free entry for all. The event has been kindly sponsored by Signtech.

Genuine Jersey welcomes new artists to its community

John Garton — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Two local artists have recently been welcomed to the Genuine Jersey community. Anita Eastwood and Catherine Highfield of Purple Panda Creations join a further 200 members as apart of Jersey’s largest community of local artisans, producers, growers and creatives.

Anita Eastwood is an experienced water colour and acrylic artist who specialises in pet and equestrian portraits. Her slate paintings have recently been in high demand, leading her to explore different mediums on which to produce her artwork. Anita has been commissioned to produce art for Jersey Hospice, NatWest and Jersey Race Club and her paintings can be found on display at the Harbour Gallery.

Anita said: “I have always loved colour and try to find the balance between incorporating this in my work and still representing true form. Through joining Genuine Jersey, I hope to find a wider audience for my art and to build my reputation as a local artist. Jersey is a beautiful Island and a wonderful canvas for ideas.”

From full time mum to full-time business owner, Catherine Highfield launched Purple Panda Creations in 2017 from a love of personalised gifts and the desire to establish a business from her home, where she can be near her three children. Her business produces bespoke laser cut and engraved items from wedding décor to house sign names. She recently partnered with follow Genuine Jersey member, Unique Words, to produce a range of engraved poems on wooden plaques.

Catherine said: “I am most proud of my signature Jersey map designs, but my goal is to ensure that every customer is delighted with each and every product I make for them.”

A range of Genuine Jersey members’ work can be purchased from the upcoming Simply Spring market, set to take place in the Royal Square from 4th to 6^th April. The Genuine Jersey community offers members access to local markets, social media training and a supportive platform from which to launch their business. Easily recognisable by locals and tourists, the logo celebrates a range of products from large and small businesses.

Co-op launch Potato Growing Competition at Rouge Bouillon

John Garton — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 00:00:00 GMT

The Genuine Jersey Potato Growing Competition was officially launched at schools this week, with growing kits and buckets delivered to all of the Island’s 32 primary schools. The event was marked by a special assembly at Rouge Bouillon School where competition sponsors, the Co-op, oversaw the planting of the first seed potatoes by students.

Thanks to the support of The Channel Islands Co-operative Society 335 buckets have been handed out to local classrooms. The competition offers children the opportunity to learn first-hand about how potatoes are produced and the significance of the Jersey Royal to the Island.

Many children who live in town have limited outside spaces at home to try growing, so town schools such as Rouge Bouillon get enthusiastically involved to give their children the opportunity to experience and enjoy growing and eating their own produce. Rouge Bouillon School remains one of the competition’s biggest fans, taking on the most buckets out of all participating schools.

Russell Price, Headteacher of Rouge Bouillon, said: “Our students really enjoy the opportunity of planting and growing these potatoes as part of this competition every year and become very competitive. It would be wonderful if Rouge Bouillon could produce a winning crop this year!”

Peter Tabb from Genuine Jersey was on hand to share a few trade secrets with students, including how best to plant the seed potatoes what to do with buckets if the weather turns frosty.

Katey White, Membership and Community Manager at The Channel Islands Co-operative Society, said: “This competition remains one of the best ways to get young people engaged with the Jersey Royal and what it means to Jersey’s economy and heritage. As well as learning about the growth cycle of potatoes, they get to sample the end product and hopefully will taste the difference through eating freshly dug and cooked potatoes. We remain great advocates of all locally grown produce which is why we will always be proud as a community retailer to supply local produce such as Jersey Royals on our shelves.”

Students will have 13 weeks to nurture their buckets into an award-winning crop of Jersey Royal potatoes. Prizes will be awarded to the class that produces the heaviest yield of potatoes and those with the greatest number of tubers.