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Hospitality runs in Marcus Calvani's family. The entrepreneur and owner of the Be Served Group got his first taste of the trade while pushing the dessert trolley around his father's restaurant, La Buca. After studying at St Edward's Oxford and Cornell University in New York, he returned to the Island in 2009 with his wife and took over the family business.
Since then, he has also taken over the iconic Lido at Havre des Pas and opened JB's Smokehouse & Pingpong Bar, the "island's only dedicated craft beers bar" with professional table tennis player Josh Band. While his schedule is unsurprisingly busy, he managed to take some time to dish out the five things he would change about the island.
Our Island is leaning far too much towards work and away from ‘play.' Too many people are cash-rich but time-poor, or working far too hard to make ends meet: working through lunch, in the evenings and at the weekends. And when we finally have a moment to ourselves, we check our emails or social media.
Pictured: "We need a better work-life balance," says Marcus.
I readily admit that I’m as much a victim of this as the next person. Wouldn’t it be better to spend more time with our friends and families? The balance has to return and we need to rediscover why Jersey is a magical place to live and make the most of it.
We need to remove the naïve and incorrect view that only finance provides quality job opportunities. When I’ve explained the incredible career opportunities in hospitality and tourism to young islanders, some have replied that their parents will only let them go into finance. That is as unacceptable as it is disheartening. Without a balance of sectors, Jersey would be a very boring place to live.
Pictured: There's more to Jersey than the finance industry and hospitality is rife with opportunities for young islanders.
Yes, we need finance but we also need waiters, sommeliers, chefs, bartenders, concierges and hotel managers. Like every industry, you start at the bottom and work your way up or, if you’re lucky enough, get yourself an amazing education in this industry. Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay, Bill Marriott and Richard Branson all started on the shop floor and have done pretty well making a living in hospitality!
I was lucky to study and work in America and I’m thankful for my Ivy-league degree I have. The difference in business attitude between here and there, though, is astounding. When sharing an idea, the typical American response is: "How can I help?" or "Let’s explore working together" or "I’ll put you in touch with X.".
Pictured: Cultural differences between Jersey and the USA limit "our ability to be dynamic and supportive of one another," says Marcus.
In Jersey, the usual response is: "Ooh, I’m not sure that will work" or "I think you’ll struggle to get permission" or "Wouldn’t it be easier just working for someone else?" It’s this simple cultural difference that prevents change in Jersey and limits our ability to be dynamic and supportive of one another. We’re stronger working together in all industry sectors.
Why has the UK become the model of how it should be done in Jersey? The Island used to be portrayed as somewhere different and unique. Now our way of working and retail offering is a carbon copy of England. We even go on day trips to France to eat seafood that has often been caught in our own waters!
Pictured: Jersey needs to go back to being different and unique says the hospitality entrepreneur.
And we get excited about the visiting French market or a trip to Carrefour to buy produce that should be on the shelves in our own supermarkets. Brexit offers us the perfect opportunity to redefine ourselves and find competitive advantage in not being "English," or "European," but being "Jersey,"
We need to have more of a sense of pride in Jersey, that not only makes us feel more positive but is also projected beyond our shores. The pessimism that many islanders have and their willingness to moan rubs off on visitors and only makes the challenges greater.
Pictured: Proud to live in Jersey? Shout it out for all to hear!
We also need to love our local produce and become smarter about where our food comes from. We are immensely lucky to live in Jersey, some would say we are spoilt. Let’s shout about that fact and make full use of what this Island has to offer.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and not those of Bailiwick Express.
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