"Local festival created by locals" to celebrate Jersey produce

Wednesday 16 August 2023

"A local festival created by locals" is how Ana and Marcus Calvani describe the new upcoming Delicious Jersey Dine-Out festival which will offer islanders a wide range of specially priced menus and dishes at cafés, restaurants, hotels, kiosks and coffee shops around Jersey.

Held from 1 October until mid-November, the brand-new festival is being launched by the Jersey Hospitality Association – of which Ana and Marcus are co-chief executive officers – and is being held in partnership with AIM, the parent company of the Jersey Evening Post and Bailiwick Express, as well as Visit Jersey, Midnight Industries and Out and About.

The Delicious Jersey Dine-Out festival will offer islanders a wide range of specially priced menus and dishes at cafés, restaurants, hotels, kiosks and coffee shops around the island, and all with an emphasis on locally sourced produce and products.

"Dine-Out will focus on showcasing and celebrating local food and drink," said Mr Calvani.

"The festival looks to champion ingredients that are genuinely local, with business owners encouraged to source local and to use our island's amazing produce in a creative manner, and all while offering great value for diners."

The Delicious Jersey Dine-Out festival will be held as part of Delicious, a newly launched 12-month Jersey Hospitality Association program aimed at bringing together local industries – among them agriculture, fisheries and hospitality – in an island-wide celebration of "seasonal food champions".

In addition, Delicious will aim to educate and inform islanders about the economic, health and environmental benefits of consuming food and drink that has been caught, grown or produced locally.

"Dine-Out should make islanders proud of what we have on this amazing island," said Mr Calvani. "It will also enable visitors to Jersey to experience authentic local ingredients and to enjoy a festival that delivers great value and great local food."

James Filleul, CEO of the JEP and Bailiwick Express, said: "Having a wide variety of quality places to go out and eat good food, to suit a range of budgets, is so important to our quality of life in Jersey. That means having a thriving hospitality sector, providing a range of tasty dishes, many of which are built using local ingredients.

"So far, so obvious – but we'll only have those places, if we actually go to them; that's why we really wanted to get behind the JHA on this, and use the very considerable reach of Bailiwick Express and the JEP to make sure as many people as possible have the opportunity to learn about what is on offer at their local restaurants, café's and hotels, and then be inspired to get out and taste it.

"That might be a new dish in a favourite place, or trying somewhere completely new; a treat, a celebration or just a chance for a quick catch-up with friends or family. Whichever it is, if you've not been somewhere for a while, well, now is your chance to go."

Participation in Delicious Jersey Dine-Out is free for all Jersey Hospitality Association members, with non-members invited to sign up in order to take part in the festival. They can do so at jerseyhospitality.com.

There will be a Delicious Jersey Dine-Out supplement delivered to homes around the Island and given away free with the JEP ahead of the festival.