Destination with history, scenery and the ‘big four’

Richard Neville explores the thriving island of Jersey

There is a simple game that visitors can play to explore Jersey. Hire a car or bicycles and take it in turns to decide to go left or right. Follow the chosen route and you will find gems around every corner and, given the small size of the island, sooner or later you will end up back at the beginning.

Jersey is an island community best discovered by exploration. Whether you cover the whole island by car, cherry pick bike rides across the middle or walk sections of the dramatic and dynamic coastline, you are best to go to try to find the soul of this thriving place on your own.

The compact nature of Jersey not only makes it an ideal choice for a short break but it also helps create much of the island’s charm. At only nine miles by five and with a population of around 100,000 it is relatively densely populated, yet it doesn’t feel crowded or overdeveloped at all.

Hamlets and villages blanket the island and in between every settlement, land is being cultivated to provide the richest of larders. There is plenty of rugged scenery, though, to give Jersey a proper rural feel.

As Africa has its “big five” tick list for animals, look out on Jersey for its “big four”.

Instead of lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant, Jersey offers up dairy, potatoes, lobster and oysters as its must see, and try, list for visitors.

Evidence of the four is found everywhere. Precious grazing space is reserved for the Jersey cows to produce milk, cream and ice cream and every little pocket and corner of land seems to be used to grow the world-famous Jersey Royals. Around the coast there are lobster shacks, seafood stalls, cafes and restaurants hugging the coast and exploiting the fresh ingredients of the sea.

The quality of food on offer, be it raw or cooked, is important to the people of Jersey. During our short stay every locally-run restaurant, sandwich shop or coffee house we visited offered an incredible range and standard of dishes. Great pride is clearly taken to show off local produce and seasonal eating. It is hard to understand how any international food franchises survive on the island when there is so much local produce and culinary skills on offer.

Our base for a long weekend was The Club Hotel & Spa in St Helier. Sitting slightly back from the centre of town, it is an ideal base from which to explore the island. Another good reason to choose The Club is its Bohemia restaurant, the only Michelin-starred venue on Jersey. If you can, find time in your stay to indulge yourself with the sensory delights of this eatery. It really is among the best food imaginable.

Jersey’s recent history may explain the island’s near-obsession with food. During the Second World War, the island was the only occupied part of the United Kingdom. For five years the island was under German command along with its neighbours Guernsey and Sark. While the level of violence was relatively low, the island population came close to starvation many times over the years.

Reminders of the occupation are everywhere and the coast is peppered with deserted gun emplacements and pillboxes. Over two years during the war, the Nazis imported slave labour from Russia and Eastern Europe to construct a huge series of tunnels under the middle of the island, which became a hospital facility in preparation for an Allied invasion that never came.

The tunnels have now been turned into a museum dedicated to the war