From the Cellar
Lovers of a well-stocked cellar will enjoy Guernsey. With its strategic position, the island has been the perfect entrepôt since Roman times.
As a British Crown dependency on the Normandy coast, lapped by the Atlantic and the English Channel, Guernsey has seen more than its fair share of trading, privateering and smuggling. The cellars and vaults of St Peter Port have held an ocean in their time: brandy and wine from France, Spain and Portugal as well as rum from the West Indies.
Guernsey was the ideal haven for speculation. Goods could be imported without paying English taxes and stored until the optimum time for sale. Many of the island’s eighteenth century merchant adventurers exploited this position to the full. Guernsey prospered and these entrepreneurs developed a taste for the good things in life. St Peter Port became a bustling, cosmopolitan port, the fine claret and brandy flowed and the good times rolled. The genie – amongst other things – was out of the bottle.
This legacy is still strong and the island’s cosmopolitan character lives on in its vibrant global finance industry. It’s hardly surprising that Guernsey is home to International Wine Magazine’s Specialist Wine Merchant of the Year 2002 (Australian wine), for Great Britain. The same team also scooped Which? magazine’s Fine Wine Specialist Award for Best Independent Wine Merchants, Great Britain, in 2002. Islanders’ cellars, wine lists and tastes remain as Epicurean as ever.
Randall's Brewery
In 2004, Guernsey’s Randall’s Brewery beer, Cynful, won the annual Tesco Beer Challenge, and became a featured speciality beer in 250 Tesco's stores across the United Kingdom.
Randall's Brewery was established in 1868. In 1873, the Vauxlaurens Brewery was built in what is now St Julian's Avenue, St Peter Port.
In 2009, Randall's moved to a new state of the art brewery. Conducted tours are available on Saturdays from April to September.
Les Rocquettes Cider
With its strong Norman heritage, Guernsey was once an accomplished cider-growing island. That tradition has been reborn and an ancient cider orchard in the rural heart of the island is once again bearing fruit. The island also has a long brewing tradition and local beers are widely available in bars and restaurants.
Locals even manage to combine their taste for a tipple with their love of nature. Autumn sees islanders strolling the south coast cliffs, bag in hand, searching out the blue-black fruit of the blackthorn. The little berry – known as the sloe - is the vital ingredient for sloe gin, a DIY drink that never goes out of fashion.
Cider Production in Guernsey thrived in the island from the 1700’s and most farms would have a cider press consisting of a granite circular trough and oak press, often originating from France. Some troughs can still be seen.
At the Guernsey Folk Museum, situated in the picturesque Saumarez Park, a cider press dating from 1734 as well as other cider making equipment can still be seen. Considerable knowledge and skill of the cider making process was required and most producers had years of experience. Prior to the First World War top quality cider could be bought direct from the farmer at a cost of 10d (4p) per gallon.
The industry went into decline in the 20th century partly due to the occupation of the island by German forces (1940 –45) but also due to changes in farming methods and other factors. However, the industry has experienced a revival in recent years and currently the Guernsey Cider Company crop approximately thirty tons of apples annually to produce the very popular Rocquette Cider.
James Meller set up the Company at Les Fauxquets de Haut in the parish of the Castel, which ironically was an original cider-making site and to date approximately 3000 trees have been planted in the surrounding area.
FARMERS AND FISHERMANS MARKET 09 Jan 2010 - 18 Dec 2010
EVERY SATURDAY
Contact: +44 (0)1481 235571
Until April at St Martin’s Community Centre, From April at Sausmarez Manor.
Selling a wide range of locally made produce, plant...
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RANDALL’S BREWERY TOURS 10 Apr 2010 - 25 Sep 2010
Bookings essential - contact: +44 (0) 1481 720134
Randalls brew Breda lager and Patois cask conditioned ale at their state-of-the-art La Piette brewery. There are conducted to...
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