Nature

With its abundance of top notch seafood and the mighty Jersey Royal, islanders are well aware of the quality of local produce.

Now, a swanky London restaurant is keen to enjoy the benefits of what Jersey has to offer.

Local produce will be featuring on the menu of Fifteen - the restaurant set up by the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.

Head of international trade at Jersey Enterprise Wayne Gallichan explained how this unlikely marriage of London sophistication and unpretentious Jersey fodder came about.

Jersey speciality:Oysters

Fifteen

He said: “Last year, we attended the real food festival at Earls’ Court. It’s a small producers’ show and we took a number of Jersey businesses over with us for the very first time. 

“We took a stand and there were eight producers with us. At the show we met a chap called Tony Welsh, who is the head buyer at fifteen in London.

“He liked what he saw and a few weeks later he got in touch with agriculture and fisheries. They got through to Mike Tate at Tourism and to me as well. Here we are a year later and Jersey produce is on the menu at fifteen throughout the whole of May.”

Genuine Jersey partners

Mr Gallichan is understandably ecstatic at what amounts to a bit of a gastronomic coup for the island. 

Tasty:Sea Bass

He said: “It is absolutely fantastic – I spoke to John Garton of Genuine Jersey last night. He said he and Vicky Jackson from Fresh Fish Farm spoke in front of thirty house staff from Fifteen. These people will be talking to diners throughout May about the provenance of Jersey food.”

According to Mr Gallichan, Fifteen have taken at least 86 bookings and the restaurant is delighted.

He said: “The intention will be to do the same again next year. Fifteen are doing an initiatvive called ‘pass it on’. It is a postcard with information about Jersey on it and a sea bass menu.

“The idea is that you pass the postcard on, which tells you all about Jersey produce.

“This is a new initiative for Fifteen, and as we all know Jamie Oliver is a very adventurous chap. Because the quality of the produce from Jersey is so good they want to be associated with it. 

This marks a high profile month for Jersey. The Jersey Boat show begins today, Liberation Day is nearly upon us. Added to this cauldron of activity is the Real Food festival, Chelsea flower show and local chef Sean Rankin on the Great British Menu.

The Chelsea flower show

Jersey has been conspicuous by its absence from the Chelsea Flower Show over recent years. However, this year the island is making a comeback.

Mr Gallichan said: “A group of local proud producers decided they wanted to go again. It has almost been a community project. They have been working with the schools, the prison and with agricultural fisheries.

“A lot of produce is being grown throughout the winter and they are going at the end of the month with a Jersey stand.”

Jersey produce has recently featured in the Observer Food Monthly and Hotel and Caterer magazine.

Chelsea Flower show

Wayne said: “It is hard to quantify the benefits of this kind of publicity. All I do know is that we are well and truly on the map at the moment.”