SHORT BREAKS GUERNSEY DESTINATIONS Gourmet


’d read the book, seen the film and now it was time to visit the island. Written in 2008, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society inspired the 2018 movie of the same name. It gave VisitGuernsey a


I


platform to promote the island around the world, and highlight how it offers foodies far more than just potato peel pie. The flight from Gatwick


took less than an hour to reach Guernsey, the second-largest of the Channel Islands at just 25 square miles.


The island is only 30 miles from


France and has a Gallic flavour, thanks to its French place names. As a Crown Dependency, it’s not officially part of the UK, but visitors don’t have to worry about plugs or currency.


◗ FINE DINING Our first evening was full of Gallic flair thanks to David Legoupil, manager of J B Parker’s, a restaurant on the cobbled streets of Guernsey’s capital, St Peter Port. Hailing from Normandy, he was our host in the wine cellar, where


Guernsey


Samantha Mayling gets her teeth into more than just potato peel pie on a trip to the Channel Islands


we sampled a flight of wines, accompanied by charcuterie, cheese and artisan bread. He described the systematic


approach to tasting wine – the appearance, nose, palate – and a lexicon of terms to describe flavours, from spicy and oaky to floral and fruity. Elements of flavour can vary from yeast and eucalyptus to petrol and wet wool. With our palates suitably


warmed up, we headed upstairs to choose from a mouth-watering menu that included harissa- marinated lamb rump and


pollock and langoustine pie with Guernsey butter mash. Mains cost from £12, with tastings available on an individual basis. The island is home to just


one five-star hotel, the Old Government House – or OGH to locals – where Lily James, star of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, stayed when she visited for the film’s premiere. We enjoyed an introduction


to Guernsey’s artisan gins – Blue Bottle, Wheadon’s and Unit Six – which tasted as splendid as they looked. I only wished


Old


Government House


4 April 2019 travelweekly.co.uk 57


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