Eat Jersey Food Festival 2015

It is a hugely impressive list of chefs, a testament to Mark’s standing with his peers and the regard with which the Atlantic is held. It is also a slightly daunting bunch to be cooking with! Most chefs take part in this sort of event from time-to-time, whether it is at festivals, collaborations, charity evenings or guest chef dinners and, speaking only for myself, it normally means working outside of your comfort zone. Different kitchens, different brigades and unfamiliar equipment can all create a degree of stress but everyone is in it together and the sense of camaraderie and a common goal produce some spectacular evenings. From a chef’s point of view, it is a huge learning opportunity and can really energise a brigade: for the diner it presents a unique opportunity to experience the work of several different chefs melded into one cohesive menu. For the Eat Jersey festival though, the real star will be the produce. I have been lucky enough to eat in many of the island’s restaurants, and have explored the St Helier market, stopped at little roadside stalls to buy fruit or vegetables and visited producers on the island, there are some fantastic ingredients available. Royal Bay oysters, Jersey scallops, local vegetables, crab, cream, Jersey mushrooms, turbot, cider and local beef will all feature on the menus over the three days. I will leave it to Mark to sum things up for you:

'As a chef, working in Jersey is a dream come true. For a nine by five mile island, the range of fresh produce here is incredible. After spending time developing the concept, I am proud the Eat Jersey Food Festival gives us the opportunity to shout about this from the rooftops. I am delighted to be working with a fantastic brigade of peers to create the special dining events planned at Ocean and our bistro, Mark Jordan at the Beach. Together we will celebrate these ingredients and Jersey itself using our combined skill and experience. I hope everyone who attends will be back year upon year to see what we have up the sleeves of our chef whites!'

For reservations or further information contact The Atlantic Hotel on @theatlantichotel.com.